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Middle East: Gaza militants fire rocket into southern Israel, break truce
Fri. June 27, 2008 02:20 am.- By Bonny Apunyu. -
(SomaliNet) In a move that undermines a shaky, week-old truce meant to halt a violent cycle of attacks and harsh Israeli reprisals, Gaza militants fired a rocket into southern Israel on Thursday, causing no injuries.
The rocket landed in an open field on a communal farm, the Israeli military office said. It was the second breach by Palestinian militants of the Egyptian-mediated truce.
However, the Israeli government had no immediate response to the latest rocket fire, but security officials said Defence Minister Ehud Barak convened a meeting of security officials to decide how to respond.
Skepticism about the truce's ability to hold was widespread even before it took effect June 19.
The initial objective of the deal was to halt the rockets and mortars that have bombarded southern Israel for years, and to ease Israel's bruising blockade of Gaza.
Israel resealed its cargo crossings with Gaza on Tuesday after militants fired three rockets into southern Israel. The passages have remained closed since then, cutting off shipments of basic supplies that had been increased slightly as part of the cease-fire deal.
Before the rocket attack Thursday, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri denounced the resealing of the border as a "severe breach of the calm agreement."
Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for the past year, has said it will enforce the truce, but not confront militants from other groups who violate the deal.
The Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent group linked to the rival Fatah movement, claimed responsibility for Thursday's attack. In a text message sent to reporters, it said "the truce must include the West Bank and all sorts of aggression must stop."-Reuters
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