Israel today denied having reached a ceasefire deal with Hamas, a day after it retaliated against the heaviest barrage of rocket and mortar attacks from the Gaza Strip, run by the Islamist movement.
In the the worst flare-up since a 2014 war, Israel claimed over 110 rockets and mortars were fired into its territory throughout the day yesterday, a number of which were intercepted by its air defence systems, forcing thousands of people take cover in shelter houses. In retaliation, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) targeted more than 60 military targets in the Gaza Strip.
According to the military, three Israeli soldiers were injured in the attack. There were no immediate reports of casualties in Gaza.
Senior Israeli ministers denied that a ceasefire had been reached with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, but security sources maintained that calm will prevail if attacks from Gaza come to a halt.
"There is no ceasefire," Israel's Intelligence Minister Israel Katz told Israel Radio adding, "Israel maintains a clear policy not to allow fire and terror attacks against Israel."
The Intelligence Minister claimed "an Iranian fingerprint on Hamas and Hezbollah."
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