Israel and Palestinian militant groups in Gaza continue fighting despite ceasefire talks. As a result of the escalation, 21 people died, writes The Guardian.

Egyptian officials mediating conflict claim successful cessation of hostilities. But the fire continued until late at night, indicating that the truce did not work..

Gaza militants fired about 400 rockets into Israel on Wednesday in response to a surprise Israeli airstrike the day before that killed 21 people, including three senior Islamic Jihad commanders and at least 10 civilians..

Air raid sirens sounded in the cities of southern Israel, including Tel Aviv, several times a day.

Powerful Israeli air defense system "

The Israeli military also said it had successfully deployed "

Israelis living in the south of the country, as well as 2.3 million Palestinians trapped in the Gaza Strip, braced for an escalation after Israeli rockets fired at high-ranking Islamic Jihad fighters Tuesday morning despite a shaky truce struck last week.

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On Tuesday, after the first Israeli bombing, about 6,500 Israelis were evacuated by the Ministry of Defense from homes near the Gaza periphery, while schools and several roads were closed pending a response from Gaza militants..

Both Islamic Jihad and Hamas vowed to retaliate.

Through Egyptian intermediaries, Israel has indicated that it is targeting Islamic Jihad exclusively, with which tensions have flared since the death on hunger strike of Hader Adnan, a prominent politician associated with Islamic Jihad..

Israeli strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday, which the IDF said targeted rocket launchers, killed 21 people and injured 64 people, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry..