Israel on Friday denied claims by Hamas, the terrorist organization ruling the Gaza Strip, that a cease-fire has been reached following a day of near-constant fire on Israeli communities near the border and Israeli strikes on Hamas asset in the coastal enclave.
Hamas officials said late Thursday that their truce with Israel came into effect on 11:45 p.m., ending an intense two-day burst of violence that had pushed the region closer to war.
Hamas' Al Aqsa TV reported that the Egyptian-brokered deal has taken hold "on the basis of mutual calm." It said the deal was mediated by Egypt and other unidentified regional players.
The Gaza-based Islamic Jihad terrorist group, however, also denied agreeing to a truce with Israel, but nevertheless, the Israel-Gaza Strip border seemed quiet on Friday morning.
During the latest round of violence, the fiercest seen in the sector over the past few weeks, Hamas fired over 180 projectiles at Israeli border-adjacent communities and the Israeli Air Force targeted some 150 Hamas positions in Gaza.
A Thai farm worker in her 20s sustained serious injuries when a rocket struck a packing facility in the Eshkol Regional Council on Thursday morning. Another employee was lightly hurt and at least 20 others were wounded in separate incidents.
On Thursday afternoon, a Grad rocket hit an open area in Beersheba, 22 miles from Gaza, triggering sirens in the southern city for the first time since the 2014's Operation Protective Edge. No injuries or damage were reported in the incident.
Hamas denied firing the rocket at Beersheba, an assertion backed by the IDF. On Thursday evening, Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the incident.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a special session of the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet on Thursday evening to discuss the volatile situation on the border.
The cabinet ordered the military to take unspecified "forceful action" against Hamas and the other terrorist groups in Gaza. The IDF has since reinforced the units deployed along the border. with defense officials saying the military was ready for any scenario.
Sources at the Prime Minister's Office said that Hamas, via Egyptian officials and U.N. Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov, had been asking for a cease-fire since Thursday morning, but Israel continued to strike terror targets in Gaza.
Senior Jerusalem officials stressed that Thursday's operation was not the beginning of a military campaign in Gaza, but rather was meant to deal Hamas a serious blow and generate deterrence.
Israel had Hamas have fought three wars over the past decade, in 2008, 2012 and 2014.
Following the rocket fire on Beersheba, the IAF struck a five-story building in northwest Gaza. Gaza's Health Ministry said 20 people were wounded in the strike on the premises, which housed both a Hamas internal security office and what Palestinian media called "a culture and sciences center."
Hamas denounced the "barbaric" attack as an Israeli attempt to undermine the Egyptian mediation efforts.
In a series of tweets, the IDF said, "IAF fighter jets targeted a five-story building in the Rimal neighborhood in northern Gaza. Hamas' internal security forces used the building for military purposes.
"Hamas' internal security unit is responsible for all security operations carried out inside Gaza, and is considered to be an executive branch of Hamas' political leadership. The building served as the office of active unit members. A significant part of the unit's members are also Hamas military operatives."
IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis told reporters that the military was "determined to restore calm to southern Israel. Hamas is the one pushing for an escalation. We have struck over 150 targets, some highly strategic and important. This policy will intensify until such time as calm is restored."
Manelis stressed that "there is no comparison between the damage we have inflicted on Hamas and the damage it has caused us. The group has sustained hundreds of casualties and it has lost multiple assets, including tunnels.
"After four years of preparations, our abilities opposite Gaza are at their peak. If we need to launch a military campaign it will be clear-cut and decisive," he said.
At the United Nations, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon urged the U.N. Security Council to condemn Hamas militants for what he called "the unprovoked terrorist attack" on southern Israel.
The United States State Department issued a statement saying it was monitoring the situation in Gaza closely.
"We've been watching this as it has been unfolding, and it's a very concerning situation that has taken place in Gaza," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said at a press briefing.
"Overall, we condemn the launching of missile attacks into Israel and call for an end to the destructive violence. We've seen reports that 180 or so rocket attacks have taken place, shot from Gaza into Israel, and we fully support Israel's right to defend itself and to take actions to prevent provocations of that nature," she stressed.
Pressed by a reporter who insisted that the current escalation was not started by Hamas, Nauert replied, "I'm not going to get into how this thing started. Let's not forget that Hamas bears ultimate responsibility for the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. It's a tremendous concern of ours."
