Gaza City, Gaza Strip – Hamas militants fired a barrage of rockets and mortar shells toward Israel on its independence day Tuesday, and said they considered it the end of a five-month truce with Israel.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, whose Hamas-led government negotiated the cease-fire with its militant wing, blamed Israel.
“We made great efforts at keeping the truce and there was a positive Palestinian position, but unfortunately this position was met by expanding the aggression and escalating it against the Palestinian people. It’s not a Palestinian problem, it is an Israeli problem.”
Nine Palestinians were killed in fighting with Israel over the weekend, most of them militants, but also two civilians.
The barrage, which came on Israel’s 59th independence day, did not cause any damage or injury, but it marked the first time Hamas acknowledged firing shells toward Israel since agreeing to a cease-fire along the Gaza-Israel border in November. Hamas is tightly organized, and Israel says attacks from Gaza have the tacit approval from the militant group’s political leaders.
Israel Radio, citing military officials, said the rocket attack appeared to be an unsuccessful attempt to create a diversion in order to capture an Israeli soldier posted at the Gaza border. In June, Hamas-allied militants tunneled from Gaza into Israel and seized an Israeli soldier, Cpl. Gilad Shalit, who is still being held.
In Israel, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his defense minister discussed a possible response. More security consultations were planned for today.
The Israeli military has warned of a Hamas arms buildup in Gaza, and has readied contingency plans for a large-scale invasion of the territory. However, Olmert said earlier this month that the time is not ripe for a major ground campaign.
