Based on Israeli claims, three rockets were reported to have hit the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, on Wednesday, just before the official 12 am end of a 72-hour temporary ceasefire, and the beginning of a new 5 day extension.Channel 2 TV in Israel reported, earlier, that an extension of the ceasefire was accepted by the Israeli cabinet on Wednesday evening, after being proposed by Egypt earlier in the day.
Israel forces, at the same time, began redeploying near the Gaza border well in advance of the midnight deadline and has opened fire on Gaza fishing boats twice in the past two days.
Hamas has accused the Israelis of exploiting short-term ceasefire extensions of the ceasefire as a stalling tactic, as they continue to shortchange Palestinian resistance on their own legitimate demands to achieve peace.
Their demands are consistent with the terms of the Oslo Accords, but Israel has failed to abide by them, as it continues to insist that the democratically-elected Hamas group is a terrorist organization.
The Cairo delegation reportedly cancelled a press conference that was to be given at 9:30 pm.
An explosion was reported to have been heard in Gaza, soon after the rocket fire into Ashkelon, according to Ma’an.
All parties, including Israel, however, have agreed to extend the temporary ceasefire for five days.
