Sources in Gaza report that Israeli airstrikes that began at midnight, Tuesday morning, with the ending of the temporary ceasefire, continued throughout the night until Wednesday morning.The Wednesday morning airstrikes reportedly killed 7 in central Gaza City, mainly from the Allouh family. This is in addition to three civilians, including a small child, who were killed earlier the same night.
Some reports have claimed that one of the more than thirty airstrikes fired by Israeli forces in the early hour of Wednesday morning was meant to target Mohammed al-Deif, the current head of the armed wing of Hamas, and ended up killing his wife and child.
Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for Hamas, said that the Israeli airstrikes were an attempt by the Israelis to “sabotage the negotiations in Cairo”. He also denied that Hamas fired any rockets toward Israel on Tuesday.
Azzam al-Ahmad, a Palestinian negotiator representing the Fateh party also blamed Hamas, saying, ‘There was an Israeli decision to make the Cairo talks fail.”
Israeli officials had claimed that several rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel, causing no injuries or damage, on Tuesday, before the end of the ceasefire. But, Palestinians denied this claim, saying that it was Israel who broke the truce with a series of airstrikes that killed three people and wounded nearly 20.
The Israeli airstrikes hit Beit Lahia, al-Zaitoun, al-Maghazi camp, Dir al-Balah, Al-Qarara, Khuzaa, Tal al-Hawah, Rafah and eastern Sheja’eyya.
Independent journalist Mohammed Omer reported airstrikes in Jabalia just after dawn, on Wednesday, as well as numerous airstrikes on Rafah and Khan Younis.
In Rafah, the Madi and Abdeen family homes were targeted, wounding at least ten.
As the Israeli air force launched its renewed air raids on Gaza, the Israeli government recalled its envoy from the negotiations in Cairo.
