Massive rocket barrages target Tel Aviv and south, dampening ceasefire hopes

Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group are nearing a deal to end over a day of fighting in the Gaza Strip, Egyptian media reported on Wednesday, as large rocket salvos on a wide swath of the country resumed after a brief pause.

Less than an hour after Israel confirmed it was mulling a ceasefire, Gazan fighters let loose with a massive barrage on Israel’s heartland and much of the country’s south, including the city of Beersheba for the first time, ending an hours-long lull. Damage from a rocket strike was reported in Netivot, but there were no reports of injuries.

As rockets streaked through the sky, Israeli TV stations showed air defense systems intercepting rockets above the skies of Tel Aviv. In the nearby suburb of Ramat Gan, people lay facedown on the ground as they took cover. READ MORE