Gaza Strip factions warn ceasefire with Israel will end soon: report

Hamas, among other terrorist factions in the Gaza Strip, has told the Egyptian mediator that the ceasefire with Israel is about to end soon, Lebanese daily Al Akhbar reported Saturday.

The “continued economic blockade of the Strip by Israel,” was cited as the main reason for triggering the warning.

Jerusalem and sources within the Palestinian enclave have been reportedly conducting negotiations for months, including a prisoner swap deal. There are believed to be four Israelis held captive in Gaza, of those three Arabs, and the remains of two Israeli soldiers: Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul.

Coinciding with the report, tensions on the Gaza border have escalated in recent days. On Saturday morning, a suspicious object tied to a string of balloons was spotted on agricultural land in the Eshkol Regional Council, nestled close to the border.

The council released a statement saying “bomb disposal experts are at the scene neutralizing the object.”

It is the third day in a row that incendiary balloons are launched from the enclave and land in Israeli territory.

Last week, a projectile was launched from Gaza and was intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.

On Thursday, incendiary balloons that landed in Israel lit three fires in different locations adjacent to the Gaza Strip. Jerusalem responded with an IDF airstrike, targeting Hamas underground infrastructure in the northern part of the Strip, Hebrew-language outlet Walla News reported.