Eight dead as Israelis, Palestinians trade rocket fire

GAZA, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- Eight Palestinians died Saturday as Israel forces and Palestinian militants traded fire in their sixth week of fighting, officials said.

Most rockets fired out of Gaza were intercepted or fell into open areas, though one struck a dining hall near an area where a 4-year-old Israeli boy was killed one day earlier.

Israeli strikes, though, killed at least eight people in Gaza. That brings to death toll in Gaza to about 2,100, most of whom were civilians.

Israel warned people in Gaza to vacate any structure from which attacks on Israel were being carried out.

"The mission is still ongoing," text messages sent to Gazans said. "Beware."

Meanwhile, Egypt, which has been moderating negotiations between the two sides, has called for an open-ended cease-fire after talks broke down earlier in the week.