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Two rockets fired from Gaza despite truce, says Israel Two rockets fired from Gaza despite truce, says Israel
(35 minutes later)
Two rockets fired from Gaza have hit southern Israel three hours before a three-day ceasefire is due to expire, the Israel Defense Forces say.Two rockets fired from Gaza have hit southern Israel three hours before a three-day ceasefire is due to expire, the Israel Defense Forces say.
The IDF accused "terrorists" of violating the ceasefire.The IDF accused "terrorists" of violating the ceasefire.
A spokesman for the military wing of Hamas has meanwhile called on Palestinian negotiators in Cairo to refuse any ceasefire extension unless long-term demands are met.A spokesman for the military wing of Hamas has meanwhile called on Palestinian negotiators in Cairo to refuse any ceasefire extension unless long-term demands are met.
Key amongst these is the re-opening of Gaza Harbour to shipping.Key amongst these is the re-opening of Gaza Harbour to shipping.
The spokesman said his organisation was ready for "a long war".The spokesman said his organisation was ready for "a long war".
Israeli officials said earlier that it was willing to extend the ceasefire before it expires on Friday morning.
But Hamas, which controls Gaza, says there is no agreement and there is a big gap between the sides' positions.
Four weeks of fierce fighting between Israeli forces and militants in Gaza claimed more than 1,900 lives.
'Stabilise'
Egyptian officials, who brokered the 72-hour ceasefire that began on Tuesday, were working against the clock on Thursday to persuade both sides to agree a long-term deal.
"Indirect talks are ongoing and we still have today to secure this," an Egyptian official told Reuters news agency when asked whether the truce was likely to be extended beyond 08:00 (05:00 GMT) on Friday.
"Egypt's aims are to stabilise and extend the truce with the agreement of both sides and to begin negotiations towards a permanent agreement to cease fire and ease border restrictions."
On Wednesday, Israeli officials said they had expressed their readiness to "extend the truce under its current terms". But the deputy political leader of Hamas, Moussa Abu Marzouk, said: "There is no agreement."
The BBC's Sally Nabil in Cairo says that indirect negotiations between the two sides are going on behind closed doors at a secret venue.
Hamas has been reiterating its calls for the lifting of the blockade of Gaza, the release of prisoners and the end of the Israeli offensive.
The Israelis, for their part, are sticking firm to their main demand - the demilitarisation of Gaza. But our correspondent says that this has been met with a big "no" from all the Palestinian factions.
Israeli Communications Minister Gilad Erdan warned that the military would resume operations if the ceasefire was disrupted.
Palestinian officials say at least 1,875 people have been killed since Israel launched Operation Protective Edge on 8 July with the aim of halting rocket fire from militants in Gaza and destroying the network of tunnels it said were used by militants to launch attacks inside Israel.
The UN says 1,354 of those who died were civilians, including 415 children and 214 women.
Israel's government says 64 soldiers were killed, along with two Israeli civilians and a Thai national. It also claims that about 900 Palestinian militants were killed in the fighting.
On Thursday, the human rights group Amnesty International called for an investigation into what it said was mounting evidence that Israeli forces had deliberately attacked hospitals and health professionals in Gaza. The attacks have left at least six medics dead.
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