Israel and Palestinian gunmen exchanged fire for the fourth day, Saturday, as the Jihad movement fired more than a thousand rockets and the Israeli army bombed targets inside the Gaza Strip.
There were no immediate reports of casualties in Gaza or Israel on Saturday.
In the West Bank, the Israeli army raided the Balata refugee camp in the northern city of Nablus, killing two Palestinians. The Palestinian Ministry of Health named the two as Saed Misheh, 32, and Adnan Al-Aaraj, 19. At least three other Palestinians were wounded in the raid, the latest Israeli near-daily arrests of suspected militants in the Strip.
Meanwhile, hopes for an imminent cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian Jihad movement faded, as the Israeli army bombed at dawn Saturday an apartment belonging to the leader of the Jihad movement, Muhammad Abu al-Atta, among other buildings in densely populated neighborhoods.
Israeli officials told media that efforts led by Egypt to broker a cease-fire were still underway, but that Israel ruled out the terms offered by Islamic Jihad in the talks.
Israel said only that calm would be answered with calm, while Islamic Jihad was reported to be pressuring Israel to agree to stop targeted assassinations, among other demands.
Israeli officials told local media that if rocket fire from Gaza continues, the strikes (on Gaza) will continue and intensify.
