Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal at a news conference in Tehran, Iran, 2008. Photo: wiki commons

On Wednesday, the Gaza based terrorist group Hamas claimed they were ready for a ceasefire with Israel after a week of bloodshed on both sides.  However, on Thursday, schools in southern Israel were closed after rockets from the Gaza Strip continued to hit inside Israel near Ashkelon and the Eshkol Regional Council.

Over 100 rockets have been fired into Israel this week from Gaza, which Hamas controls, and unlike the most recent surge in rocketfire in March, the terrorist group has claimed direct responsibility for the barrage this week.

Israel declined to comment on what Hamas said was an Egyptian attempt to broker a ceasefire on Wednesday, while Hamas released a statement claiming they were ready for a truce.

“Responding to the Egyptian efforts, we and the armed resistance announce our commitment to stop this round of confrontation as long as the occupation stops this aggression,” said a written statement from Hamas’s armed wing.

On Wednesday, Israel confirmed that one of the Palestinian terrorists responsible for the killing of an Israeli worker near the border with Egypt on Monday – which started this week’s violence – was killed by IDF forces.