Israel, Hamas extend ceasefire

The Israeli government and Gazan authorities have agreed on a five day long extension of an already in place ceasefire despite the fact that rockets landed in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon.

Jerusalem Post reports that two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into the Israel city of Ashkelon around 9:45 p.m., two hours before the expiration of the previous 72-hour ceasefire. The rockets did not cause any injuries or damage.

The rocket fire came as the Israeli military increased deployments of troops and war material to areas bordering the Gaza Strip.

Despite the firing of the rockets, an extension of the ceasefire was agreed upon. The agreement was probably made possible by the fact that Hamas denied it had any thing to do with the rockets.

There are a number of other radical Islamist groups in the Gaza Strip who do not follow the orders of Hamas. One of these groups is believed to be responsible for the killings of three Israeli teens as they hitchhiked home from an illegal Israeli settlement. That incident was a major trigger of the current tensions in the region.

The ceasefire was agreed upon in meetings and negotiations in Cairo, Egypt. The Jerusalem Post said that one of the major factors in the extension was intense pressure from the Egyptian government.

Helping to secure the extension was U.S. President Barack Obama who called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It was reported that Obama expressed to Netanyahu the United States' strong desire to see a long-term, indefinite ceasefire agreement reached.

Reuters reports that such a long-term deal may be within reach in a matter of weeks thanks to pressure from the international community.

Talks in Cairo resume on Saturday, Aug. 16, according to Reuters.