Egypt tries to mediate Israel, Hamas truce

Qassam and Grad rockets rained on southern Israel Wednesday as Egypt attempted to mediate a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, officials said. Yasser Othman, Egypt's ambassador to the Palestinian Authority, said Cairo is working with Israel and the Palestinian factions in Gaza to halt the violence, proposing a "calm-breeds-calm" solution, Israel Radio said. Othman said it could take a few days for the lull to take effect, the report said. Some 15 rockets were fired at southern Israel by Wednesday noon, including a Grad rocket that fell near Beersheba, the army said. Gaza militants had fired more than 60 rockets since early Tuesday. In a joint operation conducted by the Israeli army and the Shin Bet security agency at noon Wednesday, a jihadist was killed in an airstrike near Rafah in southern Gaza, the army said. The army said the man was involved in the planning of the terror attack at Israel's border fence with Egypt Monday in which one Israeli construction worker was killed. The army also deployed four Iron Dome missile defense batteries before dawn Wednesday near Netivot, Beersheba, Ashkelon and Ashdod to enhance the security of civilians living in areas threatened by the rockets, Israel Radio said. The Israeli air force conducted seven airstrikes overnight in the Gaza Strip targeting suspected terror sites, the army said. The Palestinian news agency Ma'an said four Palestinians were injured.