Israeli military resumes Gaza offensive, says Hamas ignored truce

Jerusalem:  Israel on Sunday resumed its devastating military assault on Gaza after "incessant" rocket fire from Hamas killed another soldier, ending an extended humanitarian ceasefire that was rejected by Hamas. The renewed strikes came just 10 hours after Israel said it would observe a truce for another 24 hours, in a move which was not reciprocated by Hamas, which continued firing over the border. The moves came after world powers met in Paris to mull ways of ending 20-days of bloodshed raging in and around Gaza which has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 Palestinians and 46 people in Israel. Following a late-night decision by the Israeli security cabinet to extend the pause in fighting for another 24 hours in line with a UN request, Gaza residents enjoyed their first quiet night in three weeks. But Israel's decision to cease hostilities until 2100 GMT on Sunday was not reciprocated by Hamas, which said it would not halt its fire without Israeli armour first withdrawing from the Palestinian enclave. "No humanitarian ceasefire is valid without Israeli tanks withdrawing from the Gaza Strip," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum said. Both Israel and Hamas had respected a 12-hour lull on Saturday, but shortly afterwards, Hamas militants fired a barrage of rockets and mortars, one of which killed a soldier, the army said. And the rocket fire carried on overnight, with at least eight striking southern Israel since midnight (2100 GMT) while another two were shot down, the army said, stressing there had been no military response in over 12 hours. "We will continue to respect the humanitarian pause. There has not been any Israeli raids despite the rocket fire," a spokeswoman said, indicating the last response was a burst of artillery fire at 1900 GMT. Shortly afterwards, however, Israel said it was resuming its military operations. "Following Hamas' incessant rocket fire throughout the humanitarian window, which was agreed upon for the welfare of the civilian population in Gaza, the IDF (army) will now resume its aerial, naval and ground activity in the Gaza Strip," a statement said. The Palestinian death toll, which had soared over 1,000 on Saturday, rose again on Sunday, with shellfire killing three people in central and southern Gaza, medical officials said. AFP