Israel Says Hamas Is Responsible for Deadly Attack On Gaza Park
Israel and Hamas blamed each other for an attack on a Gaza park today. When the park was hit, by either an Israeli missile or errant rocket fire from Hamas, children were playing on on a swing. At least 10 Palestinians were killed, including children. Forty-six were wounded.
Israel also blamed Hamas for a concurrent attack on a Gaza hospital today. Palestinians in the area say it was an Israeli airstrike, but camera crews were not allowed access to the scene. No casualties have been reported. As of today, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, along with 46 Israelis (most of them soldiers).
The New York Times reports that there was a "informal lull" in violence over the weekend out of respect for Eid al-Fitr. That ended today when Hamas began firing rockets at Israel. It's not clear if Israel every completely halted fire — an Israeli military spokesman told the Times the army "toned down its activities to the level where we are combating tunnels on the one hand and responding to Hamas aggression on the other."
Secretary of State John Kerry and the U.N. Security Council continue to push both sides to agree to a long-term cease-fire. According to the Times, President Obama called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, urging him to accept an immediate truce.
[Image of Palestinian children celebrating Eid al-Fitr via AP]