Peace strained in Gaza after clashes between Israel and Hamas terrorist group

A calm calm seized Gaza on Tuesday morning after a night during which the Israeli air force bombed targets in the Gaza Strip. and the terrorists fired missiles into Israeli territory in what was threatening to become a major conflict just two weeks before the general elections in Israel.

Schools in southern Israel canceled clbades and the army restricted concentrations near the border with the Palestinian territory after the launch of dozens of rockets in communities in the region, including one that has reached a house in the city of Sderot.

Cross-border fighting has been caused by the surprise launch of a projectile in the early hours of Monday since Gaza who devastated a house in central Israel and made seven wounded.

According to the Israeli army, it was a missile made by us with a range of 120 kilometers (75 miles), making it one of the most distant attacks of Hamas. Before the Gaza offensive, the authorities deployed two military brigades at the border and organized a limited summons of reservists.

Hamas announced later in the day that Egyptian mediators had negotiated a ceasefire, but the shots continued during the night before the calm that seemed to return again Tuesday in the zone.

The launch of the rocket Monday led the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to shorten his visit to Washington and return home. He promised a severe response to the incident, setting the stage for what could be the most serious confrontation between the two sides since the 2014 war. But no deaths would be reported on either side of the border and the calm could new sign of relief of tension.

Two weeks ago, rockets were fired on Tel Aviv, the densely populated commercial capital of Israel. At that time, the army responded by bombing Gazaor Hamas leaders explained that the projectile had exploded accidentally and that the confrontation had immediately subsided.

Israel and Hamas have waged three wars in the last decade. Although none of them seem interested in another large-scale war, skirmishes can easily escalate. The 2014 war lasted 50 days and ended with more than 2,000 Palestinian casualties, including hundreds of civilians and 73 Israelis.

Netanyahu is expected to land in the country later in the day and go directly to a meeting at the army headquarters in Tel Aviv. The president faces the difficult task of dealing a blow to Hamas while avoiding a protracted confrontation that may be lacking in the next elections.