Four Palestinian fighters were killed Thursday in clashes with Israeli soldiers, Palestinian medical sources said. Israel Defense Forces earlier confirmed that Palestinian militants and Israeli troops traded fire in Gaza on Thursday, saying the soldiers hit at least two Palestinians.Israeli troops have been carrying out operations in central Gaza to thwart militants who've been launching Qassam rockets into Israel and to combat Palestinians operating near the Israeli-Gaza border. According to the IDF, three Qassam rockets were fired into Israel on Thursday, with one of the rockets falling near an elementary school.
Israel's recent military activities against Gaza-based militants may be having an impact. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said Wednesday that he would be willing to negotiate a cease-fire deal with Israel. Such a deal would call for Hamas to stop firing rockets into Israel and for an end to the Israeli military's targeted killings of Palestinian militants, Haniyeh said.
Israeli President Shimon Peres called Haniyeh's comments a "pathetic attempt to move international attention from the crimes of the Hamas and the Islamic Jihad of shooting at innocent civilians," and said that if militants stopped firing rockets, then "Israel will immediately hold its fire so there is no need for negotiations."