Israel and Gaza Strip ceasefire collapses, new fighting breaks out

Rocket fire and airstrikes have resumed in the Gaza Strip and Israel after the collapse of a delicately negotiated ceasefire extension was reached Aug. 18.

The Aug. 18 ceasefire extension came after the expiration of a 72-hour halt to hostilities reached through negotiations in Cairo. This is the second short-term ceasefire to have collapsed since violence in the area flared up in at the end of June. It was not immediately clear if the collapse of this ceasefire would make negotiation of a long-term settlement unattainable.

Reuters says that three rockets landed in fields and vacant lots near the Israeli city of Beersheba. There were no reports of damage or casualties. Israel declared the rockets a violation of the agreed-upon ceasefire.

No group has claimed responsibility for the rockets, although the area they were fired from is under the control of Hamas.

CNN says that prior to the rocket launches, negotiators from both Israel and Palestine were at a loggerheads. They said that they were not making any progress in meeting either party's demands.

Citing an unnamed Israeli official, CNN also reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to retaliate against the Gaza Strip. It was not clear if in the long term that retaliation would take the form of airstrikes, a renewed invasion of the Gaza Strip, or both.

Israeli troops had invaded Gaza in July before withdrawing later. So far, more than 2,000 Palestinians have died in the fighting while 67 Israelis have also perished. The majority of the Israeli casualties are soldiers who died in the invasion. The only civilian casualties Israel has suffered are 2 Israelis and a migrant Thai worker.

The BBC reports that Israel responded to the rocket fire nearly immediately, launching fresh airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.