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LIVE BLOG: Israel's Operation Protective Edge in Gaza [Jerusalem Post (Israel)]
[July 28, 2014]

LIVE BLOG: Israel's Operation Protective Edge in Gaza [Jerusalem Post (Israel)]


(Jerusalem Post (Israel) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Tuesday, July 29  2:35 a.m. Rocket alert sirens sound in Tel Aviv area, Shfela.

2:20 a.m. A rocket alert siren sounded in Eshkol Regional Council.

1:06 a.m. A suspected security incident caused the police to close Highway 232 near the Gaza border from the Sa'ad Junction to the Gabim Junction early Tuesday morning. The police provided no further details of the closure.

During the 22 days of Operation Protective Edge the police have closed roads a number of times in the area due to suspected terrorist infiltrations from Gaza. Monday, July 28  11:50 p.m. The IDF released the names of four soldiers late Monday night who were killed earlier in the day in a mortar shell attack on the Eshkol Regional Council, which is on the border with the Gaza Strip.



The four soldiers belonged to the Armored Corps. Their names are: Staff Sergeant Eliav Eliyahu Haim Kahlon, 22 of Safed; Private First Class Meidan Maymon Biton, 20 of Netivot; Niran Cohen, 20 of Tiberias; and Adi Briga, 23 of Beit Shikma.  10:45 p.m. The IDF said on Monday that since midnight, 51 rockets and mortars had been fired into Israel. Of these, 6 rockets were shot down by the Iron Dome, and another 40 impact sites were found inside Israel, both in open and populated areas.

9:58 p.m. Code Red sirens were sounded in Asheklon and the Eshkol Regional Council.


9:41 p.m. The IDF announced that five soldiers were killed in two separate incidents today. St.-Sgt. Moshe Davino, 20, of Jerusalem was killed in action inside Gaza.

Four others, who were not yet identified, were killed in the mortar attackin Eshkol.

9:09 p.m. Terrorists in Lebanon apparently attempted to target Israel with two rockets that failed to breach the border, landing inside Lebanese territory on Monday night, Channel 2 reported.

No injuries or damage were reported on the Israeli side, although rocket alert sirens were activated in communities in the Upper Galilee region, warning of a possible attack.

8:57 p.m. Rocket alert sirens heard in Upper Galilee near Lebanon border.

8:40 p.m. Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon on Monday said Israel would not hesitate to expand its actions against Hamas in a manner that will harm the terror organization. He stressed that Israel would not compromise the security of its citizens.

"We won't be deterred from fighting for our home and citizens," he said in a press conference.

8:29 p.m. Netanyahu: Hamas is a cruel enemy, not only to us, but to their own citizens. They have rejected numerous cease-fires. We are prepared for an extended operation.

8:29 p.m. Netanyahu: There needs to be international supervision of financial aid coming into Gaza.

8:28 p.m. Netanyahu: This is a hard and painful day. We will not end the operation in Gaza without neutralizing the terror tunnels.

8:26 p.m. Netanyahu addresses nation at press conference: There is no war more just than this one. I would like to extend my condolences to the families of our fallen soldiers.

7:48 p.m. Terrorists attempted to enter Israel via a cross-border tunnel from Gaza, surfacing in the Nahal Oz area on Monday evening. IDF soldiers detected a terrorist cell and opened fire on it, killing one Gazan attacker.

The army was searching for additional attackers.

7:38 p.m. Police repeat their call for non-residents to stay away from the Gaza border communities.

7:25 p.m. TheIDF on Monday evening sent messages warning Gaza residents to immediately evacuate to central Gaza City from the regions of  Shejaia, Zeitoun and western Jabalia. The military warned the population via recorded voice messages and text messages.

7:23 p.m. Two rockets landed in open areas in the Hof Hacarmel Region Council. No injuries or damage were reported.

7:20 p.m. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, and Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz were scheduled to hold a joint televised press conference on Monday at 8 p.m.

7:10 p.m. Rocket alert sirens sounded in various communities in Israel's northern Hof Hacarmel and Hadera regions, including Zichron Ya'akov, Caesarea and Or Akiva.

7:03 p.m. Code Red sirens sounded in the the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council.

6:39 p.m. Code Red sirens were heard in Beersheba and Ashkelon.

6:12 p.m. The IDF confirmed that Shifa hospital in Gaza was hit by failed Gazan rocket.The explosion killed 10 people, including children, according to Palestinian reports.Hamas had blamed the attack on an IAF drone strike.

5:55 p.m. A number of people were injured after a mortar shell exploded in the Eshkol Regional Council on Monday. The seven injured were evacuated to Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba.

5:17 p.m. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday that the obstacle to ending fighting between Israel, Islamist Hamas terrorists and Palestinians in Gaza Strip was "political will." 5:14 p.m. Air raid sirens sounded in Ashkelon and the the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council.

4:59 p.m. Air raid sirens sounded in Ashkelon and the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council.

4:40 p.m.  Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu slammed a UN Security Council statement calling for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza, saying during a phone conversation with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that the statement addresses the needs of a murderous terrorist organization, but not those of Israel.

The statement, he said, does not address Israel's demands for the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, a principle already established by previous interim agreements with the Palestinians.

4:21 p.m. Code Red siren sounds in Ashkelon Coast Regional Council.

4:10 p.m. Following several rocket attacks on Israel in the last few hours, the IAF resumed air strikes on terrorist targets across the Gaza Strip, the IDF said.

3:23 p.m. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday that parties to the conflict in Gaza have "expressed serious interest" in his request for a further 24 hour humanitarian ceasefire, but "have not yet agreed on the timing of its implementation." "The Secretary-General calls on the parties to renew a humanitarian pause in Gaza and reiterates his demand for a durable ceasefire that could set the ground for the start of comprehensive negotiations," his spokesman said in a statement.

3:11 p.m. Meretz leader Zehava Gal-On called on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to adopt President Obama's humanitarian cease-fire initiative that would lead to a permanent cease-fire.

"The agreement needs to serve Israel's security interests and the lives of the Palestinians, and also with the Palestinian Authority as part of the solution," She said.

Gal-On also called to end the bad-mouthing of US Secretary of State John Kerry.  2:50 p.m. Code Red sirens sound in Eshkol Regional Council and the Ashkelon Regional Council as rocket fire appears to have resumed, targeting areas bordering the Gaza Strip.

2:37 p.m.  Captain Liad Lavi, an officer in an infantry unit, who died on July 26 after he was hospitalized from wounds he had sustained in the southern Gaza Strip on July 25, will be laid to rest at 5:00 p.m. at the Meitar Cemetery.

2:07 p.m. Gaza medical officials said  that two people, including a child, were killed by Israeli fire in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday. The IDF did not confirm the reports.

2:01 p.m. A rocket is located in an open area of the Sdot Negev Regional Council after alert siren sounded.

1:58 p.m. A rocket alert siren sounds in the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage in the attack.

1:31 p.m.  A rocket alert siren sounds in the Sdot Negev Regional Council area. No injuries or damage were immediately reported in the attack.

1:06 p.m.  Four rockets fired from Gaza in the direction of the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council at about 12:40 p.m. on Monday failed to pass the border fence , falling in Palestinian territory.

1:00 p.m. Culture and sports minister Limor Livnat said on Monday morning that deterrence had still not been reached in Gaza.

She said that Israel cannot allow Hamas to continue to fire and hurt Israeli citizens. She stressed that Hamas's rocket supplies have been hurt but they still have supplies and capabilities.

She urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to tell President Obama, in response to his urging a cease-fire, "Not yet. We can't stop yet." 12:40 p.m. 4 rockets landed in open areas after sirens were heard in the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council. There are no initial reports of injuries or damage and the rockets landed in open areas. The attack broke hours of relative quiet in the South.

12:10 p.m. An IDF soldier was wounded in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday despite a lull in the fighting. The IDF Spokesman's Office said he was shot and lightly wounded. He was transported to hospital.11:45 a.m. The IDF struck two Hamas rocket launching sites and a weapons production facility in the northern and central Gaza Strip in response to a rocket fired at Ashkelon earlier on Monday.

10:45 a.m. Deputy Transportation Minister Tzipi Hotovely stated on Monday that the cease-fire proposal put forward by the United States in recent days would only benefit Hamas in Gaza.

"Israel must postpone the cease-fire proposed by Obama," she said, "The majority of the Israeli public supports continuing the operation [Protective Edge], and  the government's capability to provide a game changer in the Gaza Strip by removing Hamas.

10:00 a.m. The security cabinet convened to discuss whether or not to expand operations in Gaza.

8:56 a.m. The IDF says they returned fire to the source of the rocket that landed in Ashkelon this morning.

7:30 a.m. A rocket landed in an open area in southern Israel.

7:15 a.m. After a quiet night with no rocket attacks, Ashkelon woke up to sirens warning of incoming rockets from Gaza.

5:55 a.m. 15 Security Council members agree on statement supporting immediate humanitarian cease-fire, and will formally adopt it at a midnight meeting.

4:30 a.m. The United Nations Security Council will convene a meeting at midnight EDT to adopt statement on Gaza.

3:00 a.m. The spokesman for the Ministry of Health in Gaza says the Palestinian death toll has now reached 1,035, including 236 children, according to the Ma'an news Agency.

On Sunday, 16 civilians were killed as the IDF resumed fire in the Strip, the report added.

2:00 a.m. The state-run Saudi Press Agency reports that Saudi Arabian King Abdullah met with PA President Abbas at the royal palace to discuss current situation in Gaza.

12:06 a.m. The IDF said it completed an investigation into the shelling on Thursday of an UNRWA school in Beit Hanoun, Gaza, and found that Hamas terrorists fired at the army from within the school complex.

The IDF fired several mortar rounds in response. One IDF mortar fell in a yard near the school, which was empty, the military said.

Sunday, July 27     11:35 p.m. Three rockets land outside Eshkol community, no damage or injuries were reported.11:11 p.m. US President Barack Obama called for an "immediate cease-fire" in a phone call to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Sunday night.

Obama added that any lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must ensure the disarmament of militant groups and the demilitarization of Gaza.

10:06 p.m. Around 200 Israeli Christians demonstrated in Haifa Sunday night in support of the IDF and in solidarity with Christians around the Middle East.

Protesters held signs condemning terrorism and "ethnic cleansing" of Christians in the Middle East.

9:28 p.m. Two rockets intercepted over Netivot following a Code Red rocket alert siren.

8:38 p.m. The IDF said that there had been 56 rockets and mortars fired into Israel from Gaza since midnight. Of the rockets, 7 were shot down by the Iron Dome and 39 fell in open areas, the rest were not accounted for.

Altogether since the operation began there have been 2,507 rockets and mortars fired into Israel, and 492 rockets shot down by the Iron Dome. Since the ground operation began on July 17th, there have been 1,0004 rockets and mortars fired, and 195 Iron Dome interceptions.

7:44 p.m. The family of Oron Shaul, the IDF soldier declared killed in action Friday after being MIA for nearly a week, has decided that it will begin to sit shivafor Oron today.

7:23 p.m.  UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon "urges, in the strongest terms, both the Israelis and Palestinians to extend, for an additional 24 hours, the humanitarian cease-fire that was in effect and mostly observed until early this morning.

He notes the importance for both Israelis and Palestinians to be able to have a break in the violence that has killed too many, marred so many lives, and caused such destruction." 7:00 p.m. A house was hit by a rocket in Eshkol Regional Council moments ago, no injuries were reported.6:03 p.m. The security cabinet is meeting to discuss a possible cease-fire proposals.

5:23 p.m.  Palestinians in Gaza unleashed rockets at the northern and eastern Negev, including Be'er Sheva, its satellite suburbs, and the Beduin villages scattered to the east.

4:52 p.m.  Iron Dome intercepts four Gaza rockets over Kiryat Gat.

4:42 p.m.  Rocket sirens sound in Gaza frontier towns, Ashkelon, and Ashdod.

4:31 p.m. Israel has rejected a cease-fire proposed by Hamas hours after Hamas rejected an Israeli-proposed humanitarian cease-fire.

Asked whether Israel would accept the truce offer, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told CNN: "Hamas doesn't even accept its own ceasefire, it's continuing to fire at us as we speak." Netanyahu added that Israel "will take what ever action is necessary to protect our people." 4:01 p.m. Code Red siren sounds in Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council.One rocket hit a house, leaving one person moderately injured.

3:22 p.m. Two rockets fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel land in open territory in the Sdot Negev Regional Council area.  No injuries or damage were reported in the attack.

2:44 p.m. Rocket sirens wail in Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council.

2:31 p.m. Three rockets fall in the Eshkol Regional Council. No injuries or damage.

2:08 p.m. Construction and Housing Minister Uri Ariel (Bayit Yehudi) responded to Hamas' request for a cease-fire. "After breaking the cease-fire and killing our soldiers, Hamas is now on its knees begging for a humanitarian cease-fire. Mr. Prime Minister, don't let them have it! Now is the time to strike them until the end and finish this story once and for all. The time has come for us to stop being nice." 2:03 p.m. Rocket sirens wail in Ashkelon Coast Regional Council, and Eshkol Regional Council. 1:20 p.m. Hamas asks for new 24-hour humanitarian cease-fire, to begin at 2:00 p.m., after breaking previous cease-fire. 12:51 p.m. Three rockets fell in open areas in Eshkol Regional Council.

12:45 p.m. "A cease-fire would be like lending a hand to the opponent to help him get up, and then giving him something to drink so he can compose himself ... Especially at this moment, it's impossible to take the foot off the pedal. Now is the time to be determined," Economy Minister Naftali Bennett (Bayit Yehudi) said in response to Hamas' new ceasefire request.

12:40 p.m. The IDF resumes striking targets in the Gaza Strip, including concealed rocket launchers, a terror tunnel and three terror operatives.

11:22 a.m. A rocket landed in Eshkol Regional Council. There were no injuries or damage in the attack.  10:56 a.m. A rocket alert siren sounded in Eshkol Regional council.

10:40 a.m. It was announced that Chief Sgt. Barak Refael will be laid to rest on Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Gan Yavne military cemetery.

10:15 a.m. A projectile landed in Eshkol Regional Council on Sunday morning causing damage to a building. There were no injuries in the attack.

10:04 a.m. The IDF announced Sunday morning that it would be resuming attacks on terror targets in the Gaza Strip through the air, sea and on the ground after Hamas rocket fire broke a humanitarian cease-fire that Israel had agreed to extend until midnight Sunday. In light of the decision, the IDF called on civilians in Gaza to avoid areas where fighting was taking place.8:28 a.m. Rocket alert air raid sirens were sounded for the Shfela and Sharon regions.

8:18 a.m. Rocket alert sirens sounded in the Ashdod and Ashkelon regions. Shortly after, four rocket interceptions were heard.7:19 a.m. The Israel Defense Forces announced  that a soldier was killed after he was struck by a Kassam rocket fired by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The dead soldier has been identified as Chief Sgt. Barak Refael Degorker, a 27-year-old from the town of Gan Yavne. Degorker is the 43rd soldier to die in Operation Protective Edge.5:04 a.m.  Rocket sirens heard in Gaza frontier towns.

Saturday, July 26  11:40 p.m. Rocket sirens continue to blare in communities across Gaza border.

23:00 p.m. Several rockets land in open areas in Ashkelon Coast Regional Council.

22:52 p.m.  Rocket alert siren sounds in Ashkelon and in Beersheba.

10:40 p.m. Security cabinet meets on whether to extend humanitarian cease-fire that began at 8:00 a.m. for another 20-hours.

10:15 p.m. Two rockets were shot down by the Iron Dome anti-rocket system oer Ashkelon. One falls near Sha'are Hanegev community.

10:00 p.m. Police forces are dispersing Tel Aviv protesters over renewed rocket attacks from Gaza.

9:50 p.m. Rocket sirens sound in Ashkelon.

9:45 p.m. Rocket sirens sound in Ashdod and in the Shfela area.

9:30 p.m. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri says there is no agreement to extend ceasefire until midnight.

9:25 p.m. Police forces arrest three right-wing demonstrators for disrupting the peace who held a a counter protest - supporting Israel's actions in Gaza - near an organized left-wing rally.

9:22 p.m. Rocket siren sounds in Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council on Saturday evening.8:45 p.m. The IDF detected and destroyed four tunnel shafts on Saturday. Givati, paratroopers, and the 7th Armored Brigade all took part in the operations to locate the shafts.

8:40 p.m. Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General releases statement, welcoming 12-hour cease-fire: "We owe to the people of of both Israel and Gaza our renewed effort to consolidate this pause in fighting into a more sustainable ceasefire," the statement read, adding that the blockade of and the closure on Gaza must end.

The Secretary General called for a two-state solution in which Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace and security.8:20 p.m. Hundreds of people gather at Tel Aviv's Rabin Square to call for an end to Israel's 19-day offensive in Gaza. Police forces at the scene are securing the rally.

8:11 p.m. Three rockets were fired at the Eshkol Regional Council as the 12 hour cease-fire that began at 8 a.m. on Saturday came to an end.

Israel has extended the cease-fire until 12:00 midnight.  6:31 p.m. Israel is leaning towards extending a 12-hour truce agreed with Hamas and other Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli government source told Reuters on Saturday.

"As far as Israel is concerned, there is no reason to prevent Gaza's people from stocking up on supplies, so long as the military can continue its work against the tunnels. Our war is not against the population," an official said, declined to be named.

6:00 p.m. Protesters gather in central Paris - chanting pro-Palestinian slogans and waving Palestinian flags - to march from Republique Square to Bastille and on to Nation Square. Over 1,000 police officers were spread out along the way.

5:50 p.m. Ma'an wire service says the numberof bodies unearthed from rubble in Gaza climbed to 151, including women and children, citing medical sources in Gaza.5:30 p.m. Palestinian death toll tops 1,000, many of them civilians, says Gaza's health ministry.

5:20 p.m. Germany's pilots' union criticize decision by Air Berlin, Lufthansa to resume flights to Israel, ending ban.

15 p.m. Three IDF soldiers were killed in Israel's ground offensive in Gaza overnight between Friday and Saturday, the IDF announced, bringing the military death toll in Operation Protective Edge to 40.

5:00 p.m. Hamas leader Musa Abu Marzouk comments on gathering of foreign ministers in Paris, saying "We will not accept any solutions that do not take into consideration the rights of our people in Gaza." 4:38 p.m. Thousands of demonstrators are protesting outside the Israeli Embassy in west London, carrying large Palestinian flags and chanting pro-Palestinian slogans, such as 'End the Siege,' and 'Free Palestine.'  3:12 p.m. Foreign ministers from seven nations on Saturday called for an extension of the 12-hour ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said.

"All of us call on the parties to extend the military ceasefire that is currently underway," Fabius told reporters after a gathering that included the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Qatar, Turkey and the United States. An EU official also attended the meeting at the French foreign ministry.

1:56 p.m. Palestinians have recovered at least 40 bodies from rubble in Gaza since the beginning of a 12-hour cease-fire that began Saturday morning, Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported.

1:05 p.m. The funeral for fallen IDF soldier St.-Sgt. Guy Boyland, who was killed in Gaza on Friday, was scheduled to take place at his native Kibbutz Ginosar at 5 p.m. Sunday.

12:24 p.m. Turkey lifted a ban on flights to Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion Airport after a temporary cease-fire was agreed between the parties, the state's SHGM aviation authority said on Saturday.

10:56 a.m. The IDF has struck over 155 targets across Gaza over the past 24 hours, the army said Saturday.

10:05 a.m. IDF forces from the Givati ??Brigade uncovered a number of booby-trapped houses in Gaza on Saturday morning that contained various weapons and communications devices as the army continued to locate terror sites amid a 12-hour humanitarian cease-fire, the military said.

8:15 a.m A rocket fired earlier from Gaza exploded in the Eshkol Regional Council as a temporary pause in fighting went into effect.

8:00 a.m. A UN-requested 12-hour humanitarian cease-fire between the IDF and Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip tentatively was expected to go into effect at 8 a.m.

7:39 a.m. Code Red sirens sounded in the Eshkol Regional Council shorty before a 12-hour cease-was was due to take effect in Gaza.

5:15 a.m. The army announced that 2 IDF soldiers were killed in action the previous night, fighting in the Gaza Strip. 3 soldiers were critically wounded, 13 sustained moderate wounds and 19 were lightly wounded.

The deaths of two more soldiers brings the IDF's death toll to 37. The IDF said that the families were notified.

4:55 a.m. A Red Alert siren was heard in Sha'ar HaNegev communities.3:15 a.m. Kerry will continue truce efforts in Paris on Saturday when France hosts diplomats from the United States, Britain, Germany, Italy, the European Union, Turkey and Qatar, a French diplomatic source said.

2:30 a.m. Red Alert sirens were heard in Yad Mordechai on Saturday overnight.

2:10 a.m. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency stated that 160,487 Palestinians are currently staying in 83 UNRWA shelters.

1:50 a.m. Rockets were fired at southern Israel and sirens went off in Ashkelon and the surrounding area.Iron Dome intercepted three rockets.

12:45 a.m. A Hamas spokesman announced that Hamas has agreed to a 12 hour ceasefire beginning on Saturday morning.Friday, July 25 11:32 p.m. Hours after rejecting terms for a longer cease-fire, Netanyahu told Kerry that Israel will begin a 12-hour pause in hostilities starting at 8 a.m. Israeli time on Saturday, a US official said.

11:30 p.m. Red Alert rocket sirens were sounded in Ashkelon and communities near the Gaza border late on Friday night.

11:24 p.m.  Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu informed US Secretary of State John Kerry late Friday that Israel will observe a 12-hour cease-fire beginning Saturday at 7 a.m. local Israeli time, Reuters reported.

10:54 p.m.  Since the IDF launched its ground incursion into the Gaza Strip last week, it has uncovered 31 underground tunnels used by Hamas, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit announced on Friday.

Of the 31 tunnels, 11 have been destroyed.

The army announced on Friday that an Armored Corps unit from the 401st Battalion spotted two Palestinian rocket launchers just as they were about to fire at Israeli territory. According to the IDF, the unit struck a direct hit against the launchers, who took positions near a school and a mosque.

The army also claimed that a Givati infantry unit discovered a booby-trapped house with eight explosive devices wired to explode in the southern Gaza Strip.

10:23 p.m. US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday that there are still disagreements on the terminology for a Gaza truce but he is confident there is a framework that will ultimately succeed.

He told reporters in Cairo that "serious progress" had been made on a truce but there was more work to do and he was sure that Prime Minister Netanyahu is committed to working towards a ceasefire.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, also at the press conference, called for a seven-day humanitarian truce with an extendable 12-hour pause.

8:50 p.m.  Iron Dome intercepts three rockets over Ashkelon.

8:39 p.m. The soldier killed Friday afternoon in Gaza was identified as Guy Levy, 21, from Kfar Vradim in northern Israel. Levy served in the Armored Corps.8:37 p.m. Rocket alert sirens were heard in the Shfela, Sharon, Gush Dan, Ashkelon, Samaria regions. Several audible explosions were heard.

7:07 p.m. One soldier was killed in action Friday afternoon in central Gaza bringing the number of fallen soldiers and officers to 35, the IDF says. Fourteen others were injured in the last 24 hours.6:54 p.m.  Code Red sirens sound in Ashdod and Ashkelon. Three rockets were intercepted above Ashdod by Iron Dome.

6:07 p.m. Code Red in Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council.5:30 p.m.  IDF declares Oron Shaul, the soldier who went missing after his armored personnel carrier was hit by an anti-tank missile near the Gaza border, killed in action. The Shaul family has been notified of the decision. 5:10 p.m. Two rockets exploded in open areas of Sha'ar Hanegev and Sdot Negev Regional Councils following Code Red sirens. Earlier, one rocket was intercepted over Ashdod, and a second rocket fell in an open area nearby.

4:56 p.m.  Rocket sirens sound in the western Negev town of Kisufim.

4:48 p.m. Three Palestinians reported killed in separate incidents in the West Bank the day after massive clashes over the Green Line left one Palestinian dead.4:41 p.m.  Rocket sirens sound in Gaza frontier towns of Kfar Aza, Sa'ad, Kfar Maimon, Shukeda, and Zameret.4:37 p.m.  Rocket sirens sound in Gaza frontier town of Miflasim. 3:59 p.m. Code Red rocket alert sirens sound in Ashkelon and Ashdod.

3:47 p.m.  Some 240 terrorists have been killed by the IDF in Gaza since the start of the ground offensive last week. The IDF struck 75 targets across Gaza on Friday, and 3,590 targets since the start of Operation Protective Shield.

On Friday afternoon, the IDF uncovered anti-tank missiles, grenades, and communication equipment in a south Gaza home. Additionally, paratroopers encountered six armed terrorists, and opened fire, killing them.

1:56 p.m. An IDF soldier was killed in battle in Gaza, the army announced Friday.

It named the fallen soldier as 36-year-old Sgt.-Ma. Yair Ashkenazy, from Rehovot. Ashkenazy served in the reserves brigade of the Bahad 1 officer training base.

1:04 p.m. The World Health Organisation (WHO) called on Friday for a humanitarian corridor to be set up in Gaza to allow aid workers to evacuate the wounded and bring in life-saving medicines.

In a statement, the UN health agency said that four hospitals, including al Aqsa hospital in the coastal strip, had been damaged in the conflict that began on July 8 when Israel launched air strikes, followed by a ground invasion.

"WHO calls for the creation of a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of the injured, as well as for the supply of life-saving medicines. The humanitarian corridor should extend to protect the safe passage of patients to access crossing points and exit outside the Gaza Strip for medical care." 12:18 p.m. Rocket alert sirens sound in Eshkol Regional Council. 11:50 a.m. Three rockets intercepted over Rishon Lezion. One man went into shock.

11:45 a.m.  Gazan rockets fired at Tel Aviv and intercepted. Sirens sound in Tel Aviv, Ben-Gurion airport, Rishon Lezion, Ness Ziona, Rehovot and Yavne.

11:25 a.m. Iron Dome intercepts a number of rockets over Ashkelon; direct hit on home reported, no injuries.

11:10 a.m Rocket sirens sound throughout Ashkelon, Sharon and Dan regions in southern and central Israel.

9:36 a.m. The IDF and Shin Bet killed senior Islamic Jihad member Salah Abu Hasnin on Friday morning by targeting his Rafah home by air. Since Thursday morning, the IDF has killed around 40 terrorists in Gaza.

7:53 a.m. Sirens sounded in Ashkelon and the communities surrounding Gaza.

7:07 a.m. The security cabinet was expected to convene on Friday afternoon to discuss a cease-fire proposal presented by US Secretary of State John Kerry, Israel Radio reported.

6:25 a.m. Code Red sirens sounded in the Eshkol Regional Council early Friday morning, breaking the overnight quite free of rocket attacks or alert sirens.

6:15 a.m. The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) was prepared to operate in the face of intensified threats of cyber warfare in the coming days, especially in light of Iran's anti-Israel Quds Days and Laylat al-Qadr, marking the coming end to the month of Ramadan.

Along with Israel's general cyber security activities, the IDF's Cyber Protection Unit was preparing to deal with the activities of hackers from around the Muslim world as well as ground in the Gaza Strip.

4:15 a.m. The Transportation Ministry initiated on Thursday night an operation to retrieve Israelis stranded in Turkey due to airline bans on travel to Ben-Gurion Airport. El Al, in cooperation with the ministry, was set to send planes to Athens while a Turkish carrier was due to bring Israelis to the Greek capital where they would transfer to the Israeli aircraft and return to the airport in Tel Aviv.

1:20 a.m. Protesters rallied against the IDF's operation in Gaza near where US President Barack Obama was speaking at the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College in California.

12:47 a.m. Cleared for publication: Golani commander was injured on Thursday while destroying a Gaza terror tunnel wall.  12:00 a.m. Violence broke out near Kalandia between Jerusalem and Ramallah, as over 1,000 Palestinians protested near the checkpoint, throwing rocks, firebombs and fireworks at Israeli security forces, and setting tires on fire. IDF forces and Border Police were using crowd dispersal means on the masses.

According to the Ma'an wire service, two Palestinians were killed, while dozens were injured during clashes.  Thursday, July 24  10:40 p.m. IDF Spokesperson's Office says initial investigation into shelling of UN-run school in Gaza found that terrorists opened fire from the vicinity of the school, and the army returned fire. At the same time, Hamas fired in the general direction of the school, the army said.10:15 p.m. One interception over Eilat, as rocket target port city.10:10 p.m. After rockets rain down throughout evening on southern Israeli communities, the port city of Eilat hears air raid sirens. 9:00 p.m Chief military spokesman Brigadier-General Moti Almoz told Channel 2 that Hamas gunfire was fired towards the area of the UN-operated school in Gaza that was shelled Thursday, adding, it was too soon to determine who casued the damage to the school. 8:40 p.m. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey will push for Israel to be tried at an international criminal court if it kept up its assault on Gaza and accused the Jewish state of "spitting blood."7:47 p.m. The US State Department says the deadly gaza school incident "underscores the need to end violence."7:33 p.m. Two rockets fall in open areas near the city of Beersheba.

A man is slightly injured by shrapnel after rocket lands in Eshkol. 7:30 p.m. Knesset members stand to sing Hatikva, as Rivlin ends first speech as president.  7:25 p.m. President Rivlin sums up his first speech as Isral's president, saying, Israel has never give up hope that it will succeed. "If not today, tomorrow; if not tomorrow, the next day." 7:25 p.m. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday he was appalled by an attack on a UN-run school in the northern Gaza strip that had killed Palestinian civilians and UN staff.

"Circumstances are still unclear. I strongly condemn this act," Ban said in a statement. "Many have been killed - including women and children, as well as UN staff." The Gaza health ministry said at least 15 people had been killed and some 200 wounded.

The IDF was looking into the matter. 7:15 p.m. Code Red alers heard in Eshkol area7:14 p.m. Rivlin thanks former president Peres in the name of the Israeli people for a "lifetime of carrying this nation's burden."7:13 p.m. Several rockets fall in open areas in the Eshkol region 7:10 p.m. "We gather here today not just by law but with a message to our enemies: You cannot and will not defeat us!," says Israel's new President Rivlin, adding that Israel was a Jewish and democratic state, even as it fights terror.7:07 p.m. Reuven Rivlin sworn in as President of Israel. Rivlin swears to be faithful to Israel and it's laws, as Shofars blow, and the crowd cheers "Long live!" 7:03 p.m. Rocket sirens sound in Sha'ar Hanegev and Eshkol Regional Councils.

7:00 p.m. President Peres went on to talk about the Gaza offensive and the tunnels the IDF has uncovered.

He said terrorists turned Gaza into a man-made tragedy, and that Israel never opened fire on Gaza but rather, retaliated when it was shot at. "We are fighting to ensure our citizens' safety," he noted.

Hamas planted seeds of death and harvested death, the president continued, mentioning their use of children as human shields.

Addressing the terrorist organization directly, he said, "for 66 years terror hasn't brought you any gains. You lose out when you shoot," he said.

6:47 p.m. President Shimon Peres thanks Israel for "the privilege of serving the country and its citizens for seven years," in final speech as president before president-elect Rivilin's swearing in.

6:45 p.m. "We are on a just mission, fighting for the peace and security of our citizens," Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein says at start of ceremony swearing in president-elect Rivlin, adding, the ceremony was being held not because of the aw but because of the citizens of Israel want to hear the voice of the president To outgoing President Shimon Peres, he said, "You were head of a party when you became president, left politics aside, and became a man of the people."6:03 p.m. Communities near the Gaza border, including those in the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council area hear sirens.  5:55 p.m.  Hamas must agree to a humanitarian ceasefire without conditions, British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond said at news conference in Cairo on Thursday, as Egypt tries to mediate a truce between Israel and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

5:26 p.m. Sirens blare once more in Ashdod, and communities bordering the GazaStrip, including Kiryat Malachi. Central Israeli towns, Gan Yavne, Gedera hear sirens.

5:20 Two rockets intercepted in Negev near Beersheba, one lands in open area.

5:04 p.m. Rocket sirens begin in Beersheba, resume in Ashkelon.

4:50 p.m. Rocket sirens sound in coastal city of Ashdod.

4:40 p.m. Two rockets were shot down over Ashkelon and others were intercepted in the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council; one rocket fell in an open area in the Eskol Regional Council.

4:29 p.m.  Rocket alert sirens sounded in Ashkelon and in the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council on Thursday, there were no immediate reports of injuries.

4:20 p.m. Fifteen people were killed and more were wounded when an UNRWA school in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza, was hit by Israeli tank fire, the Palestinian Ma'an news outlet reported on Thursday citing the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

4:14 p.m. Rocket siren sounds in Eshkol Regional Council.

4:00 p.m. Europe's Aviation Safety Agency, which had issued a "strong recommendation" against flights to Tel Aviv, retracted its warning on flights to and from Israel.

3:40 p.m Binyamin Netanyahu spoke at the Knesset at a cabinet meeting, saying Israel is continuing its operation in Gaza in full force from the ground and the air. He opened his remarks by saying the IDF has delivered a powerful blow to the Hamas infrastructure.

"We are continuing the operation in full strength," he said, adding that the IDF was making big gains in Gaza.

"In the past day, we have worked to overturn the FAA ban on flights to and from Israel, and that has gained fruit." He went on to discuss the fallen soldiers: "In the name of all the people of Israel, I express deep condolences to the families, the fathers and mothers, of our soldiers that have died protecting our country." 2:08 p.m.  The Egyptian army thwarted an attack against Israel on Wednesday night, killing a suicide bomber who ran towards the border near Kerem Shalom, Egyptian military sources said.

The Egyptian sources told the Palestinian Ma'an News Agency in a report published Thursday that the suicide bomber carried an explosive device as well as wearing an explosive belt on his body.

The sources also said that the army destroyed a vehicle loaded with Grad rockets before they were fired at Israel.

The attack on the vehicle killed two individuals, taking place in the north Sinai town of Sheikh Zuweid near the border with the Gaza Strip.

2:00 p.m. Rocket sirens went on in Ashdod, Ashkelon, Hof Ashkelon, Kiryat Gat and Kiryat Malachi.

12:40 p.m.  Turkey is working with international partners to negotiate both a cease-fire in the Gaza conflict and access for humanitarian aid, the Turkish foreign minister said on Thursday. "The US, Turkey, Qatar and Egypt have been working for the last five days to ensure an immediate cease-fire," Ahmet Davutoglu said in an interview with Turkish broadcaster AHaber, adding Turkey was in constant contact with Palestinian leaders.

12:29 p.m. Rocket sirens heard in Ashkelon, Netivot and communities near Gaza.

11:35 a.m. Code Red rocket alert sirens sound in Sderot.

11:34 a.m. Several pieces of rocket shrapnel land in Tel Aviv.

11:30 a.m. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke with British Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond on Thursday where he expressed regret for the heavy civilian casualties in Gaza but insisted that the IDF is doing its utmost to prevent such casualties.

The PM also added that nothing would prevent Israel from continuing to protect its people from Hamas tunnels which "penetrate our country." 11:22 a.m. Sirens sound in central Israel and the Sharon region for second time in minutes . Iron Dome intercepts 6 rockets.

11:05 a.m. Rocket alert sirens sound in Kfar Saba and Petah Tikva.

11:00 a.m. Rocket barrage fired from Gaza reached as far as Emek Hefer and Binyamina while explosions were heard throughout the greater Tel Aviv area. Sirens went off in Ramat Gan, Givatayim and Herzliya.

10:46 a.m.  Brazil on Thursday recalled its ambassador to Israel for consultations in protest over the IDF's operation in the Gaza Strip. A statement put out by the Brazilian foreign ministry said that Brazil considers "escalation of violence between Israel and Palestine" as unacceptable. "We strongly condemn the disproportionate use of force by Israel in the Gaza Strip." 8:30 a.m. The IDF took some 150 Hamas terrorists prisoner after they surrendered in last night's offensive on the neighborhoods of Khan Younis and Rafah in the Gaza Strip.

The prisoners will be transferred to the Shin Bet for questioning regarding the movements and operations of Hamas in Gaza.

8:02 a.m.  Rocket sirens activated in Gaza frontier towns.

7:05 a.m. The FAA lifts its flight ban to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport after reassurances from the Israeli government of new security measures put in place.

6:27 a.m. The IAF struck over 30 terror sites in Gaza overnight, says Army Radio.

6:11 a.m.  Palestinian youths in Bethlehem clashed overnight between Wednesday and Thursday with Palestinian security forces and Israeli military, showing solidarity as fighting continued to rage in Gaza, displacing thousands more Palestinians in the battered territory.

Palestinian riot police were seen trying to prevent youths from getting near Israeli soldiers but eventually moved aside as scores of youths streamed into the streets throwing stones and firebombs at Israeli soldiers, who responded with tear gas and skunk water fired from a cannon.

4:41 a.m. Palestinian health authorities reported that 18 people were killed in IDF operations in the last few hours, according to AFP.

The health officials said the Palestinian death toll in Operation Protective Edge had reached 714.

3:21 a.m. More than half of the Palestinians want an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, according to a public- opinion poll published Wednesday.An overwhelming majority of respondents, 93%, said they had a negative view of the US role in the crisis.

1:53 a.m. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon "expresses his outrage and regret at the placing of weapons in a U.N.-administered school," a United Nations statement said. UNRWA is sheltering 102,000 people in 69 of its schools amid the renewed violence.

"By doing so, those responsible are turning schools into potential military targets, and endangering the lives of innocent children, UN employees working in such facilities and anyone using the UN schools as shelter," the statement said.1:09 a.m. In the last 24 hours, over 95 rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza, the IDF says.

12:44 a.m. The funeral for Paratrooper St.-Sgt. Li Mat, 19, will take place Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Har Herzl military cemetery, the IDF announced.

12:05 a.m. The ADL condemns the vote by the UN Human Rights Council to establish a commission of inquiry into Israel's alleged human rights violations in Gaza, calling it "absurd" and "another shocking perversion" of the Council's mandate.

Wednesday, July 2311:00 p.m. The funeral for fallen IDF soldier Daniel Pomerantz, who was killed on Sunday in Gaza, will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday at the cemetery in Kfar Azar.  10: 18 p.m. Security cabinet meets to discuss both the direction of the military action inside Gaza, as well as the diplomatic efforts to stop it.

9:31 p.m. Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal says he is ready to accept a humanitarian truce in.

9:26 p.m. Hamas does possess rockets that can reach Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport although the accuracy of the rockets does remain limited, the State Department said on Wednesday. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said Hamas' anti-aircraft missile capabilities are still being determined and there is no evidence the terror group has used them.

9:25 p.m. Turkish Airlines extended its suspension of flights to Israel for another 24 hours due to security reasons, Communications Minister Lutfi Elvan said on Wednesday.

9:20 p.m. The funeral notices were released for two of the three IDF soldiers who were killed in Gaza on Wednesday. Paz Eliyahu's funeral was schedule for Thursday at 5 p.m. at the cemetery in Evron. Shahar Dauber's funeral was set to take place at 11 a.m. Thursday at the cemetery in Kibbutz Ginegar.

9:15 p.m. PLO official Saeb Erekat told Al Arabiya on Wednesday that he expected a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas to take effect in the coming hours or on Thursday.

9:02 p.m. Air raid sirens sounded in Ashdod, Kiryat Malchi, the Shfela region and areas of the greater Tel Aviv area.No initial reports of injuries or impact.

8:29 p.m. The IDF said it had detained several soldiers and a civilian on suspicion of leaking fatality figures from the fighting in Gaza over social media before families of the dead or wounded could be formally informed.

7:55 p.m. Code Red sirens sound in the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council and the Sdot Negev Regional Council.

7:50 p.m. Update: More than 200 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists have been killed by the IDF since the start of the ground offensive last Thursday.

In recent days, the Shin Bet and the IDF targeted a series of Islamic Jihad field commanders, described by security forces as prominent figures who stood behind many attacks on the army and rocket fire on Israeli civilians.

7:45 p.m. Over 200 terrorists have been killed since the start of the ground operation.

Islamic Jihad commanders killed in recent days include Akram Salah Muhammad Sha'ar, a senior Islamic member in the Khan Younes area; Muhammad Awad Ali Ziada, from Jabalia, who commanded a battalion in northern Gaza; Sa'aban Khaled Sa'aban Dahduah, from Gaza City, who commanded a battalion in his region; Said Muhammad Nasser Abu Muamar, of Rafah, who also commanded an Islamic Jihad battalion in his area.

  7:00 p.m.  3 IDF soldiers were killed in battles with terrorists in south Gaza early on Wednesday and several others were air lifted to hospital with injuries, the IDF said.

The three have been named as: Lt. Paz Eliyahu, 22, a Paratrooper from Kibbutz Evron; St.-Sgt. Li Mat, 19, from Eilat; and St.-Sgt. Shahar Dauber, a 20-year-old Paratrooper from Kibbutz Ginegar.

6:45 p.m. Air raid sirens sounded again in the Ashkelon Coast and Ashdod regions.

6:24 p.m. Code Red sirens sounded in the Eshkol Regional Council.

6:20 p.m. The Iron Dome defense system intercepted two rockets over Ashdod in the latest barrage fired toward the port city.  6:10 p.m. Air raid sirens sound in Beersheba and nearby areas.

6:06 p.m. Air raid sirens sounded in Ashdod and Ashkelon minutes after rocket sirens previously sounded in the area.

6:00 p.m. Air raid sirens sounded in Ashdod, Kiryat Malachi, Gan Yavne and Gedera on Wednesday evening.

5:50 p.m. The German government reassured Jews living in Germany that they should feel safe in the face of anti-Semitic chants and threats heard at some of the protests against Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza, and said such behavior would not be tolerated.

5:25 p.m. US Airways canceled its flights to and from Ben-Gurion Airport on Wednesday night, saying it would resume air operations if the FAA removes its ban.

5:16 p.m. No airlines that have suspended flights to Ben-Gurion Airport in Israel have agreed to reroute flights to Ovdah airport in the South, according to a Transportation Ministry spokesman. Following a 24-hour Federal Aviation Authority prohibition on flying to Ben-Gurion Airport Tuesday night, Israel opened up Ovdah as an alternative, offering to bus passengers up to country's center.5:10 p.m. The Red Cross announced a temporary ceasefire in two zones including Khan Younis and Sejaia of the Gaza Strip, according to a report by AFP.The ceasefire is intended for the purpose of evacuating wounded Palestinians after days of heavy fighting in urban areas has resulted in hundreds of dead Palestinian civilians.

The IDF has not confirmed any reports of a ceasefire.

5:02 p.m.  Air raid sirens sounded in Ashdod, Be'er Tuvia, Ashkelon, and the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council, warning of a possible incoming rocket attack.

4:34 p.m. Code Red sirens wne off for a second time in an hour in the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council area.

4:19 p.m. Code Red rocket alert sirens sound in Ashkelon Coast Regional Council area.

4:07 p.m. German airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG on Wednesday further suspended flights to Tel Aviv for an additional 24 hours after it halted flights to Ben-Gurion Airport on Tuesday for 36 hours, citing security concerns.

3.55 p.m. Polish state airline LOT has suspended its flights to Israel from Warsaw until Monday because of concern for passengers' safety, the airline's spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

3:46 p.m. Code Red sirens sounded in the Ashkelon Coast and Eshkol regional councils.3:20 p.m. The IDF uncovered a new tunnel shaft in Gaza, leading to an underground passage that contained maps, weapons and IDF uniforms. Meanwhile, a Givati infantry unit fired on a terrorist cell that surfaced from a tunnel. One terrorist was shot.

Elsewhere in Gaza, an Armored Corps force fired on two terror cells that were about to fire an anti-tank missile at the army. The cell was hit, the army said.

Late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, a Golani infantry force came under anti-tank fire. Soldiers returned fire, and directed an air strike at the cell that fired the missile. The cell was hit.2:52 p.m. Iron Dome intercepts an unspecified number of rockets in the Yavne area. 2:33 p.m. Rocket alert siren sounds in the Shfela Region: Ramle, Rehovot, Lod, Gedera, Ness Ziona, Rishon Lezion.  2:32 p.m. Rocket alert siren sounds in Ashdod and Ashkelon. 2:00 p.m. Following the Thai farm worker's death near Ashkelon, MK Zvulun Kalfa (Bayit Yehudi), who is the chairman of the Knesset's agricultural lobby, slammed the government for failing to provide adequate protective spaces for southern farmers against the rocket fire.

"Without cement shelters the next tragedy is only a matter of time. I call on the government to get its act together and send shelters to the farmers in the south. Abandoning the agricultural areas now will lead to huge economic damage and to a shortage of produce," Kalfa said. 1:50 p.m. Two rockets intercepted over Ashkelon; one rocket intercepted over Ashdod. 1:45 p.m. Yair Farjoun, head of the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council, expressed his sorrow over the death of the worker saying that open areas were the workplace of area farmers.  "We feel deep sadness by the death of the migrant worker.We were prepared for the possibility that there would be loss of life.  We send our condolences to the victim's family and continue to give our backing to the IDF and the security forces," Farjoun said.  1:41 p.m. Rocket alert sirens sounded in Ashdod 1:37 p.m. Rocket strikes near park in Beersheba . No injuries reported.1:34 p.m. Rocket siren sounds in Ashkelon and Ashkelon Coast Regional Council. 1:30 p.m. Two rockets fall in open areas in Eshkol Regional Council.

1:23 p.m.  Hamas has used positions in the Al-Wafa hospital in Gaza to fire automatic weapons and anti-tank missiles on soldiers, and the IDF fired back in recent minutes, the army said Wednesday.

"The hospital was used for activating war rooms and command and control centers by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad," the army said.

The IDF Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories has issued repeated and direct warnings to the hospital's manager, and to other Palestinians involved in running the hospital, the army said.

"Firing on our soldiers has grown in recent hours and endangered forces. As a result, the IDF has decided to strike terrorists operating in the hospital complex," it added.

1:19 p.m. Rocket alert siren sounds in Eshkol Regional Council. 1:15 p.m. Iron Dome intercepts three rockets over Beersheba. 1:10 p.m. Thai migrant farm worker dies after rocket fired from Gaza hits a hothouse he was working in near Ashkelon. 1:00 p.m.  Rocket alert sirens sound in Beersheba and the Beduin Negev city of Rahat. There were no immediate reports of injuries in the attack.

12:47 p.m. Code Red rocket alert sirens sound in Ashkelon Coast Council area.

12:42 p.m.  A rocket from Gaza hit a hot house in the Ashkelon Coast Council, seriously wounding an agricultural worker. The foreign worker from Thailand was evacuated by helicopter to a hospital. Five rockets were also intercepted by the Iron Dome over the area.

12:22 p.m. Rocket alert siren sounds in Ashkelon Coast Regional Council. 12:00 p.m. In meeting with UN's Ban, President Peres says that Qatar had no right to spend millions of petrol dollars to enable Hamas to build rockets and tunnels instead of developing Gaza. 11:35 a.m. Rocket alert sirens sound in Eshkol and Ashkelon Coast Regional councils.

11:23 a.m.  The Iron Dome intercepted a rocket over Sderot. There were no reports of injury in the attack.

11:04 a.m. US Secretary John Kerry arrives in Israel for cease-fire efforts.

11:04 a.m. Five rockets intercepted by Iron Dome over Ashkelon 10:57 a.m. Rocket alert sirens sounded in Ashkelon and the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council.10:29 a.m. Transportation Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday instructed the relevant agencies to immediately open the Uvda airport, the country's second terminus for air traffic which lies just north of Eilat, in the wake of the spate of flight cancellations announced by major foreign airlines.

Katz convened a meeting of senior civilian aviation officials who recommended that the Uvda airport be utilized to replace Ben-Gurion Airport.9:28 a.m. Rocket siren goes off in Sdot Negev Regional Council. 9:22 a.m. Max Steinberg's funeral, a Golani Brigade sharpshooter who was killed in fighting in Gaza Sunday, was set for 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday in Jerusalem on Mount Herzl.

The Egged bus company was providing free transportation from 10:00 a.m. from Teddy Stadium to the cemetery.  Steinberg enlisted in the IDF in December 2012. He was originally from Los Angeles, California and was living in Beersheba.

9:02 a.m. Rocket falls in open area in Sdot Negev Regional Council. No injuries or damage. 7:55 a.m. Four mortar shells landed in open areas of Eshkol Regional Council. There were no injuries or damage.

7:30 a.m. Name of second soldier killed in Gaza Tuesday: Lt. Natan Cohen, 23-years-old from Modi'in, of the Armored Corps.6:53 a.m. Air raid sirens sound in the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council.

5:25 a.m. Two IDF soldiers were killed Tuesday evening in Gaza, among them Major Dmitri Levitas, a company commander serving in the Armored Corps, was killed by Gazan sniper fire. He was 36 years old and from the cities of Jerusalem and Geshur in the Golan Heights.

  4:00 a.m. Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg will be flying to Israel in protest of the American Federal Aviation Administration's flight ban. 3:00 a.m. Sirens sound in the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council. No reports of damage or injuries.Tuesday, July 22 11:45 p.m. According to the Israel Radio, the Khan Younis home of Mohammed Deif, commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of Hamas) was targeted by the IAF.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said two citizen All rights reserved (c) 2014 The Jerusalem Post Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).

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