Gaza Militants Call Rocket Fires At Israel After Ceasefire Agreement Was A Technical Mistake

JAKARTA - Gaza militants fired a rocket into southern Israel on Sunday, a day after an Egyptian-mediated truce ended five days of cross-border fighting, with Palestinian militant groups later saying the launch was a 'technical error'.

Just before sunset, sirens sounded in Israeli towns near the border, sending residents running for cover, some 20 hours after the ceasefire went into effect.

The Israeli military said a rocket was fired from Gaza and hit an open area.

A source from the joint operations room of the militant groups in Gaza said the rocket was launched "due to a technical fault."

Shortly after, explosions were heard in northern Gaza, with Palestinians reporting that a militant outpost had been attacked by Israel. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

No injuries were reported from either side.

Earlier, a truce between Israel and the Islamic Jihad militant group with Egyptian mediation formally went into effect on Saturday evening, meant to end the worst episode of cross-border fire since the 10-day war in 2021.

As the fighting died down, the largely deserted streets of Gaza filled with Palestinians. Some cheered and honked car horns while others headed to the homes of those killed in the fighting to show their respects.

"In accordance with the agreement of the Palestinian and Israeli sides, Egypt announces that a cease-fire between the Palestinians and Israelis has been reached," the text of the agreement read.

"Both sides will abide by the ceasefire which will include stopping the targeting of civilians, destroying homes, stopping targeting individuals with immediate effect when the ceasefire takes effect," the statement continued.

In Washington D.C, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre welcomed the ceasefire late Saturday, acknowledged the mediation efforts of Egypt and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and thanked Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.

Earlier, Israel launched an airstrike in the early hours of Tuesday last week, announcing it was targeting Islamic Jihad commanders who had been planning attacks in Israel.

In response, the Iran-backed group fired more than 1,000 rockets, sending Israelis fleeing to bomb shelters.

During the five days of the campaign, Israel killed six senior Islamic Jihad commanders and destroyed a number of military installations.

On the other hand, at least 10 civilians, including women and children, were also killed in Gaza during the fighting, and two people - an Israeli woman and a Palestinian worker - were killed by Palestinian rocket fire in Israel.