One of the last rockets to be fired from Gaza before a 72-hour ceasefire came into effect on Aug 5 hit a Palestinian house just outside Bethlehem in the West Bank.

The rocket, fired with several others that fell in open areas in Israel or were intercepted, struck the home of the Attoun family in the West Bank town of Beit Sahour.

No injuries were reported, but the rocket caused damages to the upper floor of a building.

The electricity network in the area was also damaged.

Hamas fired at least 17 rockets towards Israeli homes in the 10 minutes before the ceasefire began at 8:00am local time. Israel’s military withdrew fully by the agreed hour.

Now the focus is on Cairo where a delegation from various Palestinian factions is engaged in talks with Egypt regarding the next stage. Israel is expected to dispatch senior officials there for indirect talks with Hamas.

There are indications from Jerusalem that if the conditions are right, Israel will consider launching a diplomatic initiative with the Arab world.

There is a chance that Netanyahu is planning to use this war to create peace.

Netanyahu gave us a peek beneath the surface of the shifting diplomatic landscape on Saturday night when he referred to the unprecedented regional backing for Israel’s move against Hamas, calling it a “very important asset.”

He was referring to the deafening silence in the Arab world for the past month, where criticism of Israel has been muted – and matched by criticism of Hamas.

[Photo: Israel Defense Forces]