The Associated Press reported on Monday that militants in Gaza were still attacking southern Israel using rockets for a third day in a row.
Israel has said that it will defend itself, and thus far six Palestinians, including four civilians, have died in counterstrikes. The two militants were members of the Islamic Jihad. One of the most recent attacks from Hamas struck an Israeli army jeep.
Here's a look at the latest information regarding the upswing in violence between Gaza and Israel.
Truce efforts fail to stem violence
Reuters reports that Egypt has tried to broker a truce between between Gaza militants and Israel, but no agreement has come to pass.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned foreign ambassadors that his country would harden their response if the rocket attacks continued. "As the prime minister of Israel, I am not prepared to accept such a situation, and we will take action to stop this," he said, according to McClatchy Newspapers.
Israeli Vice Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon told Army Radio that he concurred with the tough talk from Netanyahu, saying "we will need to toughen our response until Hamas says 'enough' and ends the firing," according to McClatchy Newspapers .
The attacks on Monday were claimed by a small Salafi organization along with other small organizations that don't accept Hamas authority. Hamas governs Gaza.
Diplomats condemn violence, call for restraint
British Foreign Secretary William Hague weighed in on the rocket attacks on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
After condemning the violence on Monday, Hague said , "I am very concerned by the violence in Gaza and southern Israel, and the reported death of a number of civilians, including a child, in Gaza. ... The UK supports the Egyptian Government in its efforts to achieve a ceasefire. All sides need to demonstrate restraint to prevent a dangerous escalation that would be in no one's interests."
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, issuing a statement through his spokesman , also called for the violence to come to an end, saying that the indiscriminate attacks should cease and that Israel should exercise restraint in its response.
In the statement, he said that "both sides should do everything to avoid further escalation and must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of civilians at all times."
Shawn Humphrey is a former contributor to The Flint Journal and an amateur Africanist, focusing his personal studies on human rights and political issues on the continent.
