Al Jazeera looked at how the violence will affect Mitchell’s mission of peace in the volatile region. The new Obama administration has pledged more attention, but Mitchell’s previous reports and recommendations have had little effect.

"Mitchell already had a previous mission in the Middle East and it did not amount to much, so I don't know what he will do now,” Contemporary Arab Affairs managing editor Ziad Hafez told Al Jazeera. “As long as there is no political will in the United States to work seriously in promoting the Arab peace initiative, I don't think a lot will be accomplished.

Palestinian terrorists breached the cease-fire by detonating a bomb that killed one Israeli soldier and wounded three others along the Gaza border, the BBC reports.

Israel retaliated by shooting a Palestinian farmer and killing a Hamas militant shortly after.

The Jerusalem Post intercepted Israel foreign minister Tzipi Livini at a gathering of the World Jewish Congress, where she said that Israel is no longer going to show restraint against Palestinian attacks.

“Israel is going to act according to a new equation,” she said. "We need to change the rules of the game until they learn that the rules have changed and the equation has changed."

She added that any future agreement with Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, is not an option.

In response to Israel’s actions, Hamas officials have begun leaving their offices in fear of assassination attempts, The Palestinian News Network claimed.

According to Reuters, new U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said the U.S. supports Israel’s right to self-defense, will continue promoting an agreement between Israel and Gaza and keep supplying aid to displaced and injured Palestinians.

"It is regrettable that the Hamas leadership apparently believes that it is in their interest to provoke the right of self-defense instead of building a better future for the people of Gaza," Clinton said.

Israel’s YNET news indicated that Hamas may have not carried out the attacks but did authorize them. The Islamist group “Jihad and Tawhid Brigades” is claiming responsibility.

YNET also said that Hamas is using groups like this to continue attacks but keep Israel from targeting Hamas’ ranks and infrastructure.

"This doesn’t mean we won't see attempted attacks along the border, or maybe even an incident we would be forced to retaliate on,” Israeli defense minister Ehud Barack said. “But they will remember this time well, like Hizbullah remembers the blow it received two and a half years ago."