An infant and her pregnant mother among Palestinian dead and one Israeli man killed as ceasefire falters

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

An infant and her pregnant mother were among six people killed in Gaza after Israel responded with airstrikes and tank fire to about 250 rockets being fired over the border by Palestinian militants on a day that has put further strain on an already fraying ceasefire.

It was the second day of fighting after a month-long lull in violence around the blockaded enclave and came while leaders of Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, were in Egypt for talks aimed at restoring the faltering ceasefire deal.

﻿As well as the pregnant mother, 37, and her 14-month-old daughter Seba Abu Arar,there were four other Palestinian killed, including Emad Nassir, 22, killed in an airstrike earlier in the day, and a 25-year-old man who, according to health officials, was hit by an Israeli drone missile while traveling on a motorbike in northern Gaza.

Israeli police said one of the rockets launched from Gaza hit a house in the city of Ashkelon, killing one man. Four more Israelis, including an 80-year-old woman, were also wounded by Palestinian rocket fire.

The spike in violence began on Friday when two Palestinians were shot and killed by Israeli security forces during protests along the Israel-Gaza perimeter fence. Palestinian militants also shot and wounded two Israeli military personnel.

In total, more than 200 Palestinians and an Israeli soldier have been killed during the protests, which began last year.

Four Palestinians dead, two Israeli soldiers wounded in Gaza clashes Read more

No group has claimed responsibility for Friday’s shootings of the Israeli soldiers, though an Israeli military spokesman said an Islamic jihad group was behind them.

Retaliatory airstrikes by Israeli planes killed two Hamas militants, and on Saturday both groups launched rockets at Israel, which responded with tank fire and more airstrikes including the one that hit the child and her mother in east Gaza City.

Egyptian mediators, credited with brokering ceasefires in previous rounds of violence, were working to prevent any further escalation. “Egypt has stepped up its efforts with Hamas, the Islamic jihad and Israel but there is no conclusion yet,” a Palestinian official familiar with Cairo’s mediation efforts told Reuters.

The escalation of tensions came as Israel prepares for independence day celebrations and then to host the high-profile Eurovision song contest, which will bring thousands of international visitors. The Israeli army has convened an emergency session to discuss the situation.

The government had hoped to minimise violence along the border, and the ceasefire agreement reached recently was designed to ease conditions of a 12-year blockade on Gaza while halting rocket fire into Israel.

The small territory, home to some 2 million people, has been blockaded by Israel and Egypt since Hamas took control in 2007. There have been three wars with Israel in that time and the economy has crumbled, with unemployment over 50%.

Concessions pledged by Israel included expanding a fishing zone off the coast of Gaza, easing border controls, allowing Qatari aid into the territory and increasing imports. With Ramadan starting at the weekend, there is a particular need for funds.

But Hamas had already alleged that Israel was dragging its feet implementing those promises. On Saturday, Israel scaled back the fishing zone again and shut border crossings entirely, Reuters reported.

The EU, meanwhile, called for rocket fire to “stop immediately” and threw its backing behind efforts by Egypt and the UN to calm the situation.

“The rocket fire from Gaza towards Israel must stop immediately. A de-escalation of this dangerous situation is urgently needed to ensure that civilians’ lives are protected,” EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said in a statement.