Tension as Gaza ceasefire lapses, with Hamas standing firm on demands

[4now]

Hamas officials in Gaza were standing firm on their demands and threatening to restart hostilities as the 72-hour ceasefire with Israel expired on Friday morning.

The Palestinians declared that an Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza must be lifted and about 100 prisoners held by Israel freed to secure a further truce. Israel insisted that Hamas must disarm, which officials from the Palestinian group said on Thursday was "inconceivable".

As the ceasefire expired on Friday morning, Israel accused Hamas of breaking the truce by firing several rockets on Thursday night. A Hamas official, meanwhile, reiterated that the group could not agree to a further ceasefire unless Israel agreed in principle to end the border closure and allow the rebuilding of Gaza.

The declarations by Hamas raise the prospect of a further bout of fighting in a conflict in which nearly 1,900 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have died along with 64 Israeli soldiers. More than 3,000 rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel in recent weeks. Most of those headed for inhabited areas were shot down but three civilians in Israel have been killed.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/07/hamas-warns-restarting-war-demand-gaza-blockade-lifted-egypt-talks

Israel must end the illegal siege of Gaza if it ever expects to find peace.