Kerry condemns Hamas rocket fire ‘in face of a goodwill effort to secure ceasefire’
“But if Hamas does not accept the ceasefire proposal, as would now seem to be the case, Israel would have all international legitimacy to broaden the military operation to achieve the required quiet.”
Hamas rejected the Egyptian proposal, saying Cairo did not consult the group over the deal. The organization’s armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, rejected the offer completely, saying it was “a surrender” and “wasn’t worth the ink it was written with.”
About an hour after the cabinet agreed to the truce, Code Red sirens sounded in Ashkelon and nearby regional councils. Two rockets landed outside a community in Eshkol, and were followed by additional barrages of rockets.