Gaza Strip: Netanyahu Orders New Israeli Strikes after Ceasefire Broken by Palestinian Rockets

The Israeli military has said that three rockets have been fired into the country from the Gaza Strip, in violation of a temporary ceasefire agreement that was earlier extended by a further 24 hours.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that the three rockets landed in open fields near the southern city of Beersheba.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded by ordering retaliatory strikes on the Gaza Strip. Gaza sources reported that Israeli aircraft targeted farming areas near the town of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip.

"This rocket attack was a grave and direct violation of the ceasefire," Mark Regev, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said.

An Israeli official said that "terror sites" would be the focus of the renewed strikes "in response to Hamas' violation of the truce". Hamas said that the airstrikes on the territory were an "Israeli breach of the truce".

It is currently unknown which Palestinian factions fired the three rockets into Israel.

The ceasefire breach came as talks between the Israeli and Palestinian delegations, in search of a long-term truce, continued in Cairo. The Israeli delegation has now been ordered to return from Egypt.

"Following the ceasefire breach by Hamas, the Prime Minister & the Ministry of Defence have instructed the Israeli delegation to return from Cairo," said an unnamed Israeli official.

The Palestinian factions were demanding the blockade on Gaza be lifted while Israel is aiming for the demilitarisation of the territory.

Palestinian officials had said that there has been "no progress" on a deal with Israel despite continuing discussions.

During Operation Protective Edge, over 2,000 Palestinians have been killed – the majority civilians –while 67 Israelis were killed: three were civilians, and the remainder were soldiers.