Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired rocket salvoes at Israel on Tuesday after the Israeli government accepted, and Hamas Islamists said they rejected, an Egyptian-proposed ceasefire, Reuters reported.
Live television showed the Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepting several rockets over the port city of Ashdod and sirens sounded in other parts of southern Israel. Israel Radio said a factory in Ashdod was hit, but there was no immediate word of casualties.
Channel Two TV said 10 rockets had been launched. The Israeli military, which said it had stopped its attacks in Gaza, reported before the Ashdod strike that three rockets had been fired since the ceasefire deal was to have gone into effect at 9 a.m. (2 a.m. EDT). The truce proposal called for a "de-escalation" followed by a complete halt to hostilities by 9 p.m. (2 p.m. EDT).