While there was hope that this time the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas would bring an end to the month-long war, two rockets were reportedly fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip early Friday morning, just hours before the 72-hour cease-fire expired. The Israel Defense Forces say the rockets landed in an open area in southern Israel, and there were no injuries. No group has claimed responsibility, but the IDF tweeted, “Once again, Hamas has violated a cease-fire.” The two groups have been holding indirect talks in Cairo, with Hamas calling for an end to the blockade on Gaza, and Israel saying Hamas must disarm first. On Thursday, a spokesman for Hamas’s military wing said they were prepared to continue fighting if their demands weren’t met. “We demand from the negotiating team to pull out from negotiations if the enemy continues to be stubborn; we are ready for a long war,” Abu Obaida said.
