Cease-Fire Ends, Fighting Rages Again Between Israel & Hamas

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel and Hamas launched new attacks Sunday in the raging Gaza war, despite each side offering different truces to temporarily halt nearly three weeks of fighting.

After initially rejecting an Israeli offer Saturday for a 24-hour truce, Hamas on Sunday agreed to hold fire ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. But as Israel's Cabinet met to discuss the offer and the ongoing war, rockets rained down on southern Israel and Israeli strikes could be heard in Gaza.

Each side blamed the other for scuttling the efforts.

Hamas said it resumed firing "due to the lack of commitment" by Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Hamas showed it could not be trusted after it violated other cease-fire efforts.

Gaza health officials now say the 20-day war has killed more than 1,030 Palestinians, mainly civilians. That figure is 30 fewer than officials gave earlier.

Israel has lost 43 soldiers, while two Israeli civilians and a Thai worker in Israel were killed by rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza.