JERUSALEM (AP) — Egyptian-brokered talks between Israel and Hamas on a new border deal for Gaza were thrown into doubt Saturday after senior officials said an Israeli team would not rejoin negotiations in Cairo unless rocket fire from Gaza stops.

A day after the end of a temporary truce, cross-border attacks continued Saturday, though at a lower intensity than on most days in the past month of fighting.

Gaza militants fired 28 rockets at Israel, the army said, while Israel struck about 50 targets in Gaza that it said were linked to militants, including mosques and homes.

The indirect talks in Cairo — which began earlier in the week with Egyptians shuttling between the Israeli and Palestinian delegations — were meant to produce a sustainable cease-fire and new border arrangements for Gaza.
Israel and Egypt have severely restricted trade and movement in and out of Gaza since the Islamic militant Hamas seized the territory by force seven years ago.

However, the gaps are wide, making it unlikely the two sides can reach a comprehensive deal envisioned by the international community, including an opening of Gaza's borders and arrangements for the war-battered territory's reconstruction.

Israel has said it will not open Gaza's borders unless militant groups, including Hamas, disarm. Hamas has said handing over its weapons arsenal, which is believed to include several thousand remaining rockets, is inconceivable.
Instead, one proposal circulated by the Egyptian mediators offered a minor easing of some of the restrictions, according to Palestinian negotiators.