JERUSALEM — An Israeli man at work on a kibbutz and an 8-year-old Palestinian girl at play in the Gaza Strip died Thursday amid combat between Israel and Hamas, a spike in cross-border violence that could set back Egypt’s effort to forge a truce.
A mortar fired at midday from near the Gaza town of Khan Yunis struck a paint factory on the Nir Oz kibbutz about 2 1/2 miles away, killing 51-year-old Amnon Rosenberg.
About two hours later, an Israeli jet launched a missile at Hamas militants close to the source of the mortar fire, the army said. The missile missed the target and killed Ayah Najar as she played outside her home, according to Palestinian medical workers.
The Israeli-Gazan border had been relatively quiet in recent weeks as Egyptian mediators passed messages back and forth. But the peace effort had begun to stall, and Thursday’s bloodshed indicated that Israel and Hamas are running out of patience.
Hamas, an Islamic group that calls for Israel’s destruction, claimed responsibility for firing three mortar rounds and called the attack an answer to “nonstop aggression against our people.”
Israeli government spokesman David Baker said Hamas “will be held accountable.”
Israeli defense officials are to discuss a response with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday after his return from Washington.
Israel’s closure of the Gaza border and imposition of other economic sanctions have caused shortages of fuel, electricity and many basic goods for the coastal enclave’s 1.5 million residents.
On Thursday, Israel’s Supreme Court rejected a petition by nine Israeli and Palestinian human-rights groups to ease fuel restrictions, which the petitioners denounced as collective punishment.
