Palestinian negotiators in Egypt have agreed to extend the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas for five more days, Basam Al-Salhe, general secretary of the Palestinian People's Party and a member of the Palestinian delegation, told NBC News on Wednesday. There was no immediate comment on the reported deal from Israel, which said that "Gaza terrorists" had launched five rockets into the country and that it was "targeting terror sites across the Gaza Strip."
The back-and-forth came as a 72-hour cease-fire expired at midnight Thursday (5 p.m. ET Wednesday). Israeli police said that a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip landed in southern Israel about 10 p.m., causing no damage or injuries, and that it was followed by four more around the cease-fire deadline. Hamas denied that any rockets had been fired from Gaza.
Earlier, three members of a bomb disposal unit were killed in Gaza when an Israeli artillery shell they were trying to move exploded, officials said. The blast also killed Italian journalist Simone Camilli, 35, who was working for The Associated Press.
IN-DEPTH
- 'Big' Gaps, 'No Progress' as Israel, Palestinians Seek Deal
- Bomb Disposal Experts, Italian Journalist Killed by Gaza Blast
SOCIAL
— Ghazi Balkiz, M. Alex Johnson and Paul Goldman