After a shaky start , an extended cease-fire in Gaza appeared to be holding Thursday . Rocket fire from Gaza late Wednesday , near the end of the initial truce , and early Thursday , as the extension began , raised doubts about whether it would last . Israeli airstrikes in response to the rockets added to fears that fighting was ratcheting up again . But the exchange of fire was limited and did n't last long . Quiet returned to the skies over Gaza , aside from the familiar buzz of Israeli drones . By noon Thursday in Gaza City , many people had left U.N. shelters to visit the neighborhoods they had fled during the fighting , and traffic had once again filled the bustling streets . Israeli and Palestinian officials said they had accepted the five-day extension of the truce . The initial three-day cease-fire had expired at midnight . Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev accused Hamas , the militant Islamic group that holds power in Gaza , of violating the truce with the overnight rocket fire . But Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri had earlier denied that the organization had anything to do with firing any rockets toward Israel , leaving it unclear which Palestinian group had launched them . 'Still sticking points ' Israeli and Palestinian delegations had been negotiating in Cairo through Egyptian go-betweens in an attempt to find a more lasting end to hostilities . Under the cease-fire extension , they are expected to return to the indirect talks over the weekend . `` There remains a positive atmosphere towards reaching a comprehensive agreement , '' Azzam al-Ahmed , the lead Palestinian negotiator told reporters late Wednesday . `` But there are still sticking points . '' Khalil al-Hayya , a leader of Hamas , described the negotiations as both difficult and serious . He accused Israel of `` playing semantic games . '' `` Since we are determined ( to work things out ) , we agreed to extend the humanitarian truce in order to hold more in-depth consultations -- and to allow more pressure on the Israelis , internally and externally , so they agree with our demands , '' the Hamas leader said . The two sides ' demands are n't easy to reconcile . Israel says it wants Hamas to disarm and Gaza to be demilitarized . The Palestinian delegation in Egypt , which includes Hamas , has demanded an end to Israel 's economic blockade on Gaza , an extension of fishing rights off the coast , the reopening of an airport and seaport and the release of prisoners held by Israelis . Al-Ahmed , head of the Palestinian team , said late Wednesday that there 's still no agreement on the opening of crossings into Israel , `` the launching of a free fishing zone '' and various `` security issues . '' Israel : Hamas is 'wild card ' The Gaza conflict has killed more than 1,900 people on the Palestinian side , most of them believed to be civilians , and 67 on the Israeli side , most of them soldiers . Israel 's Iron Dome missile defense system has intercepted some of the roughly 3,500 rockets fired from Gaza since the conflict began . Regev told CNN on Thursday that the key to a longer-term solution was an end to rocket fire from Gaza . `` If there 's no hostile fire from Gaza into Israel , of course we can have serious discussions about easing restrictions , '' he said . They 're only there in the first place as a response to the violence . '' Hamas is the `` wild card , '' Regev said , expressing skepticism that the group would give up violence . But Hanan Ashrawi , an executive member of the Palestine Liberation Organization , said the Israelis `` keep blaming Hamas for everything . '' She suggested that the Israeli government `` stop trying to demonize , dehumanize and blame Hamas and the Palestinians , '' saying it should instead `` make the cease-fire hold and move to ending the occupation and dealing with all the root causes . '' Israel and its neighbors : Decades of war . Opinion : Why Israel is its own worst enemy . Opinion : Hypocrisy of 'condemn Israel ' campaign . Is Mideast peace as far away as ever ?
Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev says Israel accepts truce extension . He accuses Hamas of violating the cease-fire overnight with rocket fire . A Hamas spokesman had earlier denied responsibility for any rockets launched . Israeli and Palestinian officials are expected to resume indirect talks in Cairo at the weekend .