Update | Tensions high between Palestinians and Israelis as Hamas says it will not extend truce
Two sides trade accusations as a three-day lull ends with Hamas saying it will not extend ceasefire after four weeks of conflict claims at least 1,890 Palestinian and 67 Israeli lives
Fears rose that the Gaza conflict could resume on Friday as a temporary ceasefire entered its final stretch and Palestinians accused Israel of stalling at truce talks in Cairo.
Israel had said it was ready to “indefinitely” extend the 72-hour lull, due to expire at 8am local time on Friday.
But two senior Hamas officials said the Palestinian militant movement would not extend the lull in hostilites, accusing Israel of rejecting their demands.
A leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a smaller faction in Gaza also present at Cairo-mediated truce talks, confirmed both factions had decided not to extend the ceasefire.
Earlier on Friday the Israeli army said two rockets had been fired from the Gaza Strip. The rockets fell on an open area of southern Israel and caused no casualties, the army said. Hamas denied it had launched the projectiles.
A senior Palestinian official had accused Israel of procrastinating in Cairo , warning that it could lead to as resumption of the fighting when the deadline ran out.
“The Israeli delegation had proposed extending the ceasefire while refusing a number of the Palestinian demands,” he said, without elaborating.
