Gaza ceasefire fails, Israel loses first civilian

2014-07-15 507

Sirens warn Israelis to take cover from rocket attacks.

But an ambulance siren tells a different tale.

For the first time in more than a week of fighting, an Israeli civilian is killed by a rocket fired from the Gaza strip.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) PARAMEDIC WITH MAGEN DAVID AMBULANCE, URI SHACHAM, SAYING:

"Unfortunately 30 minutes ago an Israeli citizen working near Erez crossing border was hit by shrapnel due to a mortar attack on the crossing."

Hamas has claimed responsibility for launching the short-range rocket.

The Israeli military says around 80 rockets have been fired at Israel since the Hamas armed wing rejected a ceasefire just hours ago.

Now Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says they'll intensify their offensive.

(SOUNDBITE) (Hebrew) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"It would have been preferable to have solved this diplomatically, and this is what we tried to do when we accepted the Egyptian proposal for

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