Gaza ceasefire shattered by deadly Israeli tank fire

Fighting resumed in Gaza today as the planned three-day ceasefire quickly unravelled.

At least 40 Palestinians are believed to have died after clashes began just hours after the truce was announced.

The Israeli military also said one of its soldiers may have been captured during clashes in the southern Gaza Strip.

The temporary reprieve from the violence was shattered when Israeli tanks shelled the town of Rafah, according to Palestinian officials.

But Israel said the attack was a response to a number of rockets and mortars fired from Gaza.

“Once again, Hamas and the terror organisations in Gaza have blatantly broken the cease-fire to which they committed, this time before the American Secretary of State and the U.N. Secretary General,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.

Israel and Hamas had agreed to stop shooting for three days from this morning but within hours a firefight broke out. Palestinian officials reported that the attack in Rafah also wounded 15. Israel suggested the tanks fired in response to a militant attack.

The US and UN-brokered deal intended to allow humanitarian relief in to the territory, but permitted Israeli troops to stay on the ground in Gaza. US Secretary of State John Kerry said there was no guarantee the agreement would lead to a longer-lasting end to the violence.

In the hours before the truce was meant to come into force there were reports of heavy Israeli tank shelling in northern and eastern Gaza.

There was also a loud exchange of fire between Israeli troops and militants in Gaza City, with tank shells landing on houses. Gaza police also reported that Hamas fighters had hit an Israeli tank with a missile and then attacked troops who came to evacuate the crew.