Israel kills 2 militant commanders in Gaza as Egypt presses on with efforts to mediate truce

By FARES AKRAM and ILAN BEN ZION
Associated Press

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip have killed two militant commanders, as the death toll from the latest burst of fighting has risen to 28. Rocket fire toward southern Israel continued Thursday even as Egyptian attempts to broker a cease-fire continued. It has been the worst bout of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza in months and among the dead were also women and children. It has also pushed the region closer toward a full-blown war. The conflagration comes at a time of soaring tensions and spiking violence over the past year in the West Bank.