Israel says mortar fired from Gaza

Israel claims that Palestinians have fired a mortar into their country in what would be the first such attack since the August 26 ceasefire.

Hamas immediately denied any involvement.

“There is no evidence that there was mortar fire from the Gaza Strip,” Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri told the AFP news agency. “The Palestinian factions are committed to the truce. We want it to continue.”

An Israeli army statement said on Tuesday that the mortar round was fired from Gaza and hit the Eshkol region, bordering the Gaza strip.

“For the first time since operation Protective Edge, a mortar shell fired from Gaza hit southern Israel,” Israeli Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner said on Twitter. “No damages or injuries were reported.”

‘Operation Protective Edge’ refers to the recent Israeli military offensive in Gaza, with the declared aim of halting rocket fire from the region.

An ensuing 50-day war killed at least 2,143 Palestinians, nearly 70% of them civilians. 66 Israeli soldiers and six Israeli civilians were also killed.

Israel’s claims come as the United Nations orchestrated a deal for reconstruction in the Gaza Strip. The deal gives key roles to the Palestinian Authority and the private sector, the UN’s top Middle East envoy Robert Serry said.

Israel confirmed that it had signed up to this deal, saying that UN supervision would ensure that construction material is kept out of Hamas’ hands. Israel is concerned that construction materials could be used by Hamas to rebuild their tunnels.

Serry said that he saw ‘truly shocking levels of destruction to infrastructure, hospitals and schools’ during a visit to Gaza last week. He said that around 100,000 Palestinians have been left homeless, ‘leaving families shattered and despairing’. More than 65,000 displaced people still reside in UN shelters. 18,000 houses have also been flattened or severely damaged.

“Fast work on reconstruction will provide a signal of hope to the people of Gaza,’” Serry said, while urging the reopening of crossing points between Israel and Gaza.

He said that while the ceasefire brokered by Egypt has largely held, the situation remains ‘worryingly fragile with the underlying dynamics still unaddressed’.

“The crisis in Gaza is far from over and the window of opportunity to address critical needs and stabilise the situation is short,” Serry warned.

Israel and Hamas aare expected to start negotiations in Cairo this month to agree to a more long-term truce. Egypt, supported by Norway, will also a conference to discuss the reconstruction of Gaza on 12 October,