Israel and Gaza’s militants continued to exchange missile attacks for the second consecutive day on Saturday after Israeli airstrikes killed at least 24 people, including the leader of a Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, and injured over 200 others.
The second round of flare-up claimed at least eight lives, including six children, near Jabalya refugee camp, the Palestinian authorities said on Sunday, while pinning the blame on Israeli forces for the deaths.
The Israeli military, however, denied that it was responsible, saying the explosion was caused by a failed Islamic Jihad rocket launch, about a third of which have failed to clear the boundaries of the enclave, reports Washington Post.
“We have concrete data that it was their rocket,” Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson Lt. Col. Richard Hecht was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, there were no significant injuries reported from the rocket fire targeting Israel, according to officials, as thousands of residents of southern and central Israel have been sheltered in safe rooms or community air raid bunkers.
There are reports of civilians suffering minor injuries while running for cover, and two IDF soldiers suffering shrapnel wounds. Multiple brush fires were also reported in areas where rockets fell.
Also read | Tensions run high as 10 killed in Israeli missile strike in Gaza Strip
There seems to be no sign of exhaustion as Israel continued to pound Gaza Strip, and the militant retaliating to the air strikes since Saturday. While the Israeli military says it is targeting weapons depots hidden in residential areas and destroying a number of houses, Islamic Jihad has been firing rockets on Israel’s commercial hub Tel Aviv.
According to the Israeli military, Militants fired more than 449 rockets toward Israel in retaliation overnight and through Saturday,
The Israel military said that its Iron Dome air-defence network has intercepted about 95 percent of the rockets, with 81 of the launches falling short and landing in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Egypt has been engaging in intensive talks to mitigate the situation, Reuters reported. On Saturday, an Egyptian intelligence delegation headed by Major General Ahmed Abdelkhaliq arrived in Israel and later would be travelling to Gaza for talks.
The delegation was hoping to broker a day’s ceasefire in order to carry out the talks, the sources told Reuters.
(With inputs from agencies)
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