Israel-Hamas ceasefire holds amid tense calm in Gaza Strip

Palestinian rocket fired at southern Israel, which responds with an air strike, but truce appears to hold on Wednesday.
Gaza City – A Palestinian rocket struck Israel and the military responded with an air strike despite a ceasefire announced by Hamas, but the exchange of fire appeared to end overnight on Wednesday.
There were no immediate reports of any damage or casualties from the latest rocket fire, which the Israeli army said was launched at around 8pm (18:00 GMT).
Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other groups said “the rocket that hit near Ashkelon was the work of an individual and the factions are committed to calm” – as long as Israel is.
A security source in Gaza said an air strike hit a Hamas military base in Khan Yunis following the projectile launched at Israel.
A fraught quiet has settled over the Gaza Strip after Israeli air raids on the besieged coastal enclave that began on Monday after a rocket strike on a home in central Israel.
An Egyptian-brokered ceasefire, announced around 19:00 GMT on Monday, was confirmed by a Hamas spokesperson, but the exchange of fire between armed groups in Gaza and the Israeli military continued, residents in the strip said.
The latest flare-up took place after a long-range missile was fired from Gaza into the Israeli community of Mishmeret – 20km north of Tel Aviv – early Monday, wounding seven people. No group from Gaza has claimed responsibility, but Israel blamed Hamas, the movement that rules the strip, and deployed tanks and reservists at the Israeli fence east of the Gaza Strip.
Throughout Monday night, Israeli warplanes targeted Hamas and Islamic Jihad positions with air raids. Hamas leader Ismail Haniya’s office was destroyed in the attack, as well as several residential buildings.
The Israeli army confirmed its warplanes carried out 15 bombardments in the Gaza Strip. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, seven Palestinians were injured.
Sameh al-Ghazali, a Gaza resident, lost his home in Gaza City. ”We were shocked when we received a phone call from the Israeli army last night telling us to evacuate our home within seconds,” the father of one told Source: Al Jazeera.