A cease-fire to temporarily end fighting between Hamas and Israel ended Thursday when Gaza militants fired rockets into Israel. 

Israel responded by launching military air strikes into Gaza, CNN reported. 

The cease-fire facilitated a five-hour break in the fighting, during which no deaths or injuries were reported. The cease-fire, which was requested by the United Nations, allowed humanitarian aid to safely travel into Gaza in order to repair electrical and water lines that were damaged in airstrikes between Israel and Hamas militants. 

Hamas' state-run television station said the group's military wing fired the rocket at the Israeli town of Ashkelon. Not long after, Israel reported a retaliatory military strike. 

Gaza fired at least three mortar shells into Israel during the cease-fire, which Israel said injured an Israeli soldier during an "operational activity" near southern Gaza. Israeli Defense Forces then responded by launching retaliatory air strikes. 

Even though Hamas had fired rockets during the cease-fire, CNN reported that U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said that each side "mostly respected" the short moratorium on rocket fire. 

"The pause shows that a cessation of hostilities is possible if all the parties demonstrate the necessary will and put the interests of civilians, who have borne the brunt of this escalation, first," Ban said in a statement, according to CNN. 

Hamas also said it fired five rockets at the Israeli city of Be'er Sheva before the cease-fire commenced. 

The IDF also said it thwarted efforts by Hamas militants to enter into Southern Israel though a tunnel. 

One Israeli civilian was killed Monday when a mortar shell hit at the Erez border crossing. At least 230 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting, and close to 1,700 have been injured since the fighting between Israel and Gaza began July 7. 

Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas held talks in Cairo with an Israeli delegation in efforts to reach a lasting cease-fire deal. 

"I expect that we will reach an agreement very soon; the efforts of a cease-fire is to stop the bloodshed, killing and destruction in Gaza," Nabil Shaath, an Abbas adviser and member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told CNN. 

Shaath said that a deal will be focused on stopping the violence, and Hamas demands will be discussed later. Hamas has demanded that border crossings open in Gaza and that Israel should agree to an exchange of prisoners. 

Hamas rejected an earlier Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire, claiming they had not been consulted about the negotiations and that it did not satisfy their demands. 

Hamas officials did not participate in the talks in Cairo Wednesday, but Abbas met with Hamas and Islamic Jihad representatives. 

"While there is no plan at this point for a comprehensive cease-fire agreement. ... We are trying to extend the current one by another six or 10 hours, or even several days if possible," Shaath said. 

Even though Egypt, like Israel, considers Hamas a terrorist organization because of its ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, it is still negotiating with the group to facilitate a cease-fire agreement. 

Banks opened in Gaza for the first time in 10 days during the cease-fire, and officials from the Red Cross assessed medical needs of residents and worked to fix water lines. At least 10-15 aid trucks entered into Gaza through the Karem Shalom border. 

Supplies such as rice, sugar, oil, flour, canned goods and medical supplies were delivered to the residents of Gaza. 

Although the IDF gives warning to Gaza residents of impending rocket fire, four children were killed while playing on the beach near Gaza City when a shell from an Israeli gunship exploded near them. 

The boys, aged 9-11, were killed Wednesday. 

Israel claims that Hamas kills their own people by launching rockets in heavily populated areas. An Israeli official also said the shelling was an example of Hamas using civilians as "human shields" and that the boys were deliberately left to play near a rocket launcher. 

"What they are deliberately doing is seeking to kill as many Palestinians as possible in order to yell to the world, 'Help us,' " Israeli Cabinet member Naftali Bennett told CNN. "This is cynical and this is cowardly."

However, Hamas denied this claim and said the children were simply playing. 

The IDF said they are investigating the deaths and that the military never intentionally targets Palestinian civilians.