Three rockets explode in Israel breaching ceasefire

Jerusalem, Aug 19: Three rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip Tuesday noon and exploded in southern Israel, breaching a 24-hour temporary ceasefire between Israel and the Islamist Hamas movement, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

"Three rockets launched from Gaza struck southern Israel, in open areas surrounding Be'er Sheva," Xinhua quoted the IDF statement as saying.

Israel and Hamas agreed Monday night to extend permanently the previous 120-hour ceasefire, in the hope of reaching an initial, limited agreement to end the Israeli offensive on Gaza, which started July 8, amid indirect negotiations held in Cairo.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, warned Monday that Israel was ready to strike aggressively in Gaza in response to renewed rocket fire.

IANS