Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was not diminishing its offensive against Gaza-based terrorists Wednesday, pushing back against claims that a ceasefire brokered by Egypt was set to take effect.
Netanyahu spoke as Israeli cities in southern Israel were pummeled by successive rounds of rocket fire, with some penetrating Israel’s missile defense system and damaging homes, though no serious injuries were reported. The salvos, which also targeted the Tel Aviv area, sparked Israeli reprisal attacks and Hebrew-language media reported that the resumption of fighting had made ceasefire efforts more distant.
Speaking in a televised address, Netanyahu said Israel was still “at the height of the battle,” claiming that Israeli forces were dealing the Islamic Jihad terror group “the hardest blow” it had ever known.