WORLD> Middle East
|
WORLD> Middle East
|
|
Hamas fires heavier rockets at Israel
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-11-14 23:28 GAZA -- Hamas Islamists fired their longest-range rockets at a southern Israel city on Friday after an Israeli air force attack on their Gaza stronghold, in the 11th day of skirmishes threatening a five-month-old truce.
Israel and Hamas blamed each other for the flare-up since November 4, in which 12 Hamas militants have been killed by Israeli forces 4 and scores of rockets fired into Israel. But both shied away from declaring an end to the Egyptian-brokered truce. "We will continue to forcefully defend Israeli soldiers and citizens, to thwart attempts to stage attacks when we discover them," said Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak. "At the same time, if the other side wants to continue the calm we will definitely give it positive consideration." Hamas took a similar stand. "Up to this moment we are committed to the ceasefire," said Mahmoud al-Zahar, a Hamas leader. "Self-defense and resistance" would continue. "We are waiting for the Israelis. If they are committed really (to a truce) we have to address that frankly." The 1960s-era Soviet-made Grad rocket has a range of 25 km (15 miles). Two of them struck Ashkelon. Earlier, Palestinian medics said two Hamas fighters were wounded in an Israeli air force strike, which a military spokesman said was in response to an earlier rocket attack. Hamas said it fired 8 shorter-range Kassam rockets in response, aimed at the city of Sderot. Two Kassams hit, causing damage to buildings, Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. One Israeli was treated for shrapnel wounds, and a number of people suffered shock. NEXT MOVE The clashes halted before sundown on Friday, as the Muslim day of prayer ended and the Jewish sabbath began. Israel's caretaker prime minister, Ehud Olmert, was due to consult defense chiefs about the "escalation," his spokesman said. Israel has closed border crossings with Gaza, halting food and fuel supplies to the blockaded enclave, between Israel and Egypt on the Mediterranean coast. Hamas Islamists who control the territory do not recognize Israel's right to exist. An Israeli official said they would remain shut for now. "People are going to start getting hungry," said U.N. spokesman Christopher Gunness. The U.N. is out of food to distribute locally to 750,000 needy Palestinians, he said. Short of fuel, Gaza shot down its sole power plant, and rationed electricity it gets from Israel and Egypt. Some Gaza bakeries posted notices on Friday limiting the purchase of bread, although no major shortages were reported. The EU urged Israel to let aid supplies through. "I am profoundly concerned about the consequences for the Gazan population of the complete closure of all Gaza crossings for deliveries of fuel and basic humanitarian assistance," said External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner. "I call on Israel to re-open the crossings," she said. The clashes began on November 4. when Israeli forces killed six Hamas gunmen in a raid it said was launched to destroy a secret infiltration tunnel, and a strike at militants firing mortars. Israeli troops killed four gunmen in a raid on Wednesday, and Hamas responded with more rocket and mortar attacks. Hamas is in conflict with the Fatah faction of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas which holds sway in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and is negotiating with Israel on peace terms. The rift between them widened in 2007 as Hamas took control of Gaza. Egypt brokered the Israel-Hamas truce, but Palestinian unity talks it is mediating faltered earlier this month. |
