Israel intercepts Gaza rocket after Gaza truce expiry

"Iron Dome intercepted a rocket above Ashkelon minutes after the 72-hour ceasefire concluded," the Israeli army wrote on its Twitter account. The attack came shortly after Palestinian and Israeli negotiators failed – during indirect negotiations in Cairo – to reach an agreement on extending a three-day ceasefire brokered by Egypt. Palestinian factions have linked the extension of the truce to Israel's approval of their conditions, including lifting a years-long blockade on the Gaza Strip and the creation of a seaport. The ceasefire was brokered following a month of incessant Israeli strikes against the Gaza Strip that left 1886 Palestinians dead and 9800 others injured. The attacks have also turned thousands of Gaza's buildings into rubble. The Gaza Strip, home to 1.8 million Palestinians, has been reeling under a crippling Israeli blockade since 2006, badly affecting the livelihood in the seaside enclave.