Special report: Israel launches Gaza assault

Special report:Internal situation in Palestine

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

    JERUSALEM, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz on Sunday vowed to target Palestinian militants who violated a ceasefire that went into effect earlier in the day by continuing to fire rocket at Israel, local media reported.

    "Anyone who wants to harm us is a legitimate target," Peretz said during a speech, local newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

    Israel has its hand "extended for peace, but anyone who rejects it we won't accept that," said the defense minister, adding that "We are interested in a truce and we want to give it a chance, but unfortunately there are extremist factions who continue to fire."

    The two sides agreed to a ceasefire after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Saturday to inform him that the Palestinian militant groups agreed to halt rocket fire.

    Hours after the ceasefire took effect at 06:00 a.m. (0400 GMT)on Sunday, Saraya al-Quds, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad (Holy War), and al-Qassam Brigades, a militant group affiliated to Hamas, claimed responsibility for firing homemade rockets at the Israeli town of Sderot.

    Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya said Sunday afternoon that all the major groups in the Gaza Strip are committed to the ceasefire, which was breached in the morning.

    "Contacts were made with the political leaders of the factions and there is a reaffirmation of the commitment of what has been agreed to," Haneya said.

    Meanwhile, Palestinian National Authority security forces began deploying along the Gaza Strip's border with Israel in order to prevent Palestinian militants from firing rockets at Israel in violation of the cease-fire.

Related:

   Palestinian rockets threaten ceasefire

    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. 

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