Men inspect the damage inside a house Sunday morning in the southern Israeli town of Sderot. (AFP Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    GAZA, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian militants fired rockets in Israel on early Sunday morning, in a move deemed likely to scupper the fragile ceasefire.

    The fire happened hours after a ceasefire took effect and Israel was poised to end days of military operations in northern Gaza. 

    Saraya al-Quds, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, and al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility on Sunday for firing five homemade rockets at the Israeli town of Sderot.

    Launching the homemade rockets from Gaza at Israel came hours after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed on a mutual cessation of fire. The ceasefire took effect at 06:00 a.m. on Sunday.

    In a statement faxed to the press, the Islamic Jihad said it had fired three rockets on Sderot at 06:55 a.m., adding that it considered the shelling as part of their "normal response to what the occupation does in West Bank cities."

    The statement stressed there is no room for talking about calmness as long as the Israeli operations continued "in our territories".

    Al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas also claimed responsibility for a similar attack on Sderot, vowing to keep firing rockets "until liberation."

    Before the ceasefire became effective, the Israeli army has begun withdrawing troops from parts of northern Gaza Strip towns of Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya and Jabaliya refugee camp, Palestinian security sources said.

    The forces had left great damage to houses and fields in the agricultural communities of northern Gaza.

    After the morning rocket attacks, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz threatened to call off the pull back and resume military operations.

    "If (Palestinian president) Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian factions who signed onto the ceasefire are not able to enforce it, Israel regards that as a violation of the ceasefire and will act to defend Israeli civilians," Peretz said in a statement.

    The Palestinian Authority and Israel agreed to the ceasefire after a phone call between Olmert and Abbas, in which Abbas informed the Israeli premier that the Palestinian militants agreed to stop firing rockets as of 06:00 a.m. Sunday (0400 GMT).

    In return, Israel promised to withdrew its forces from northern Gaza, according to the army.

    Israel, which completed a pullout of troops and settlers from Gaza in summer last year, threatened last week to step up the military offensive to check the mounting rocket attacks from Gaza.

    Israel has conducted a five-month offensive in Gaza to recover captured Corporal Gilad Shalit and halt rocket attacks on its southern towns, especially Sderot city which is just outside the border of northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun.

    The offensive has taken a hefty toll. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, over 457 Palestinians have been killed during the five-month long offensive.

    Related:

    Hamas orders investigation into violation of ceasefire

    GAZA, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Hamas-led Palestinian government on Sunday condemned the rocket attacks at southern Israeli towns, which breached a ceasefire with Israel and said it would look into the attacks.

    PM: Israel to display patience and restraint 

    JERUSALEM, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday said that Israel would display "patience and restraint" in the face of Palestinian breaching of a cease-fire that went into effect earlier in the day, local media said.

    Abbas, Olmert agree on ceasefire

    GAZA, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Saturday night agreed on a mutual ceasefire as of 6:00 a.m. (0400 GMT) Sunday, said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, an advisor to Abbas.

An Israeli tank arrives at a military staging area near Kibbutz Mefalsim in southern Israel , after leaving an operation in the Gaza Strip , Saturday, Nov. 25, 2006. Israel and the Palestinians agreed to a cease-fire Saturday to end a five-month Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip and the firing of rockets by Palestinian militants into the Jewish state, officials from both sides said. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    "President Abbas informed Prime Minister Olmert on telephone that Palestinian factions decided to stop firing homemade rockets at Israel starting from 6:00 a.m. Sunday," Abu Rudeineh told reporters.

    He said Olmert told Abbas that he accepted the proposal and decided to stop military operations in the Gaza Strip.

    Israeli army says has withdrawn all troops from Gaza

    JERUSALEM, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army said on Sunday that it had withdrawn all of its troops from the Gaza Strip overnight before the truce took effect.

A Palestinian man inspects a destroyed factory after Israeli troops pulled out of the northern Gaza Strip November 26, 2006. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Saturday night agreed on a mutual ceasefire as of 6:00 a.m.(0400 GMT) Sunday. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    A spokeswoman for the Israeli army said "there are no forces now in Gaza."

A Palestinian boy sits on a donkey cart after Israeli troops pulled out of the northern Gaza Strip November 26, 2006. The Israeli army said on Sunday that it had withdrawn all of its troops from the Gaza Strip overnight before the truce took effect. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Saturday night agreed on a mutual ceasefire as of 6:00 a.m. (0400 GMT) Sunday, Abbas' spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said.

    According to Rudeineh, Olmert told Abbas that he accepted the ceasefire proposal and decided to stop military operation in the Gaza Strip.