Over the weekend, Gaza's Hamas rulers marked a year of bloody, weekly protests that have failed to break the Israeli blockade. Rocket attacks brought a wave of Israeli airstrikes and unprecedented protests broke out against the Islamic militants' increasingly unpopular rule.

And yet Hamas' control over Gaza is tighter than ever.

Thousands of Gazans began gathering to mark the first anniversary of mass protests along the Israeli border on Saturday, testing a fragile truce only 10 days ahead of an Israeli general election.

Egypt has sought to mediate between Israel and Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas to rein in violence and avoid the sort of deadly response from the Israeli army that has accompanied past protests.

Palestinian militants fired three rockets at Israel overnight prompting retaliatory fire from Israel, with the exchanges threatening a Hamas-declared truce. 

They came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was prepared for further military action in Gaza, at a highly sensitive time ahead of an April 9 Israeli general election.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday he was prepared for further military action in Gaza after cutting short a Washington visit and returning to Israel following a shaky ceasefire announced by Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blocked millions in Qatari aid to the Gaza Strip in response to renewed border hostilities, risking increased tensions with the Palestinian territory's Islamist rulers Hamas during Israel's election campaign.

The Israeli army said Monday it had carried out further air raids against Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip in response to a rocket being fired over its border. 

A ceasefire held Wednesday after the worst escalation between Israel and Gaza militants since a 2014 war, but the situation remained volatile and the deal provoked sharp disagreement within the Israeli government.

It's nearly 10:00 pm when young Palestinian men begin banging drums and chanting songs, while others attach incendiary devices to balloons -- all closely watched by Israeli snipers on the border.

Two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike on the Gaza border, the territory's Hamas-run health ministry said early Tuesday, with Israel saying they had planted a suspicious object next to the border fence.

Tens of thousands of Palestinian children returned to United Nations-run schools on Wednesday after the summer holidays, though major U.S. cuts have thrown their funding into jeopardy beyond next month.