Palestinian militants fire more rockets, Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza despite ceasefire efforts

Palestinian militants fired rockets toward Jerusalem on Friday, further escalating the most violent confrontation in months between Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip despite efforts to broker a ceasefire.

Palestinian militants fired rockets toward Jerusalem on Friday, further escalating the most violent confrontation in months between Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip despite efforts to broker a ceasefire.

The burst of rocket fire from Gaza sent warning sirens wailing as far north as the contested capital of Jerusalem -- about 48 miles (77 kilometres) from the Gaza border -- breaking a 12-hour lull that had raised hopes that regional powers could soon broker a ceasefire.

There were no immediate reports of casualties on either side Friday. The fighting, which started on Tuesday, between Israel and Islamic Jihad -- the second-largest militant group in Gaza after the territory's Hamas rulers -- have killed 31 Palestinians in the strip, including women and children, and a 70-year-old man in central Israel.

A rocket slammed into an open field in the Israeli south Jerusalem settlement of Bat Ayin, said Josh Hasten, a spokesperson for the area. Dull thuds could be heard inside the city, home to major sites holy to Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

Videos showed Israelis jumping out of their cars and crouching beneath highway rails as the sirens sounded. Residents in nearby settlements reported hearing explosions and seeing black smoke rising from the hills after an apparent missile interception.

"The bombing of Jerusalem sends a message," Islamic Jihad said in a statement. "What is happening in Jerusalem is not separate from Gaza."

In response, the Israeli military said its warplanes struck four Islamic Jihad military posts and a mortar shell launcher across the Gaza Strip.