ISRAELI negotiators abandoned Gaza peace talks in Cairo just hours before the ceasefire deadline expired early today.

Their reasons became clear a few hours later when the Israelis hit the Gaza strip with missiles and artillery for the first time in three days, while Palestinian fighters launched a barrage of rockets at Israel.

Police also reported fire from Israeli tanks on northern Gaza and from gunboats at the central area of the strip.

After a huge explosion in Gaza City, apparently from an air strike, a military spokesman claimed that Israel had responded to Hamas rocket fire.

Although, Hamas denied that it had launched any rockets and the attacks were later claimed by several smaller groups.

The Israeli army said that more than 30 rockets had been fired into southern Israel after the truce ended.

Three of the rockets were intercepted by the iron dome missile defence system and two Israelis were wounded, the army said.

However, most of the rockets fell short on open ground.

“Following renewed rocket launching at Israel, the IDF targeted terror sites across the Gaza strip,” a statement from the military read.

But the “terror sites” appeared to be mostly centred in heavily populated Gaza City.

An Israeli air strike killed a 10-year-old boy and wounded five children in the backyard of the Nour al-Mohammadi Mosque in Gaza City, the first death reported since the 72-hour truce expired at 8am, Palestinian medics said.

At least six other people were wounded in the attack.

The Israelis launched at least 10 other airstrikes on battered Gaza and thousands of battle-weary Palestinians fled their Gaza City homes again in search of safety amid the renewed Israeli attacks.

The ceasefire had expired after no progress had been made in the Egyptian mediated talks.

“All the Palestinian factions, including Hamas, have agreed not to renew the ceasefire because Israel is refusing to accommodate our demands, but negotiations continue in Cairo,” said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum.

A spokesman for Hamas's armed Qassam Brigades had warned late on Thursday that fighting would resume if their demands were not met.