JERUSALEM, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Three Qassam rockets
fired Tuesday afternoon from the Gaza Strip landed in the Sderot area, five days
after a ceasefire enacted between Israel and Palestinian militant groups last
week.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert responded in a
statement that the Qassam attack was "a clear violation of the ceasefire
understandings."
The Prime Minister's office added that Olmert "warned
that the truce may be short-lived. ...Israel has warned against such breaches
and will now consider the counter measures at its disposal."
Palestinians observe the damage in a
house after an Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Nablus
June 24, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
Among the three rockets, one struck a garden in
Sderot and two others hit the open area of the western Negev, causing minor
property damage, a spokesman of Israeli police Micky Rosenfeld told Xinhua.
One person was lightly wounded in the barrage, and
two others were treated for shock, Rosenfeld added.
Islamic Jihad's al-Quds Brigades claimed
responsibility for firing the Qassam rockets, according to the website of
Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth.
A statement sent to the media by al-Quds Brigades
said the rocket attack was in response to the killing of its commander who was
killed on Tuesday morning by Israeli soldiers in Nablus city in the West Bank,
where is excluded from the ceasefire.
Media report said Israel Defense Forces (IDF) killed
two Palestinian militants in Nablus.
Palestinians carry the body of Hamas
activist Eyad Khanfar during his funeral procession in the West Bank city
of Nablus June 24, 2008. Israeli forces killed two Palestinians, including
Khanfar, in Nablus on Tuesday in the first fatal raid since a ceasefire
took hold in the Gaza Strip last week. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
But a spokesman of IDF told Xinhua that only one
gunman, who was a senior operative of Islamic Jihad, was killed in the joint
IDF-Shin Bet operation.
According to the website of local daily Ha'aretz, a
24-year-oldgunman by the name of Iad Hanfar of Hamas was also dead in the raid.
Earlier on Monday night, Palestinians fired a mortar
shell at the Negev, the first anti-Israel strike since a ceasefire went into
effect in the Gaza Strip last week.
Israeli lawmaker Yisrael Katz (Likud) said "Israel
must launch a harsh response to the ceasefire breach."
"The ceasefire has ended even before it began," he
added.
RAMALLAH, June 24 (Xinhua) -- A special Israeli army unit
killed two Palestinian students, also members of Islamic Jihad (Holy War), in
the West Bank city of Nablus early on Tuesday, witnesses and medics said.
Medics at Rafidya Hospital in Nablus said Iyad Khanfar,
24, and Tareq Abu Ghali, 23, both students at al-Najah university, were shot
dead by Israeli gunfire, adding that their bodies were taken to the
hospital. Full story
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (R)
shakes hands with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during their
meeting in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, June 24, 2008. The
two leaders started talks on Tuesday on the Middle East peace,
particularly the fragile Gaza truce. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday expressed hope in the Red Sea resort of Sharm
el-Sheikh that Hamas and Israel would stick to an Egyptian-brokered Gaza truce.
Mubarak made the remarks during his talks here with
visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and they tackled the package of
ending violence in Gaza, Egyptian presidential spokesman, Suleiman Awad, told
reporters after the meeting. Full story
BERLIN, June 24 (Xinhua) -- The Quartet of Middle East
peacemakers called here Tuesday for a full respect for the truce between Israel
and militants in Gaza in a statement issued after its meeting.
Israel and Palestinian militant groups signed a cease-fire
last week. Peace lasted five days until Israeli targets were attacked earlier
Tuesday by homemade rockets from Gaza and two Palestinian militants were killed
by Israeli troops in the West Bank. Full story
