Special report: Palestine-Israel
Relations
GAZA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Islamic Hamas
movement on Wednesday said Israel's decision to shut crossing points into Gaza
breaches the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire deal.
"Before the Egyptian side, Israel pledged not to
close the crossing points and to ease the siege," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoom
said in a statement.
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Palestinian Hamas militants take part in
a training exercise in Gaza June 24, 2008. Militants in the
Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip fired several rockets into southern Israel on
Tuesday, breaching a five-day-old ceasefire after Israeli troops killed
two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.(Xinhua/Reuters
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>> |
Israeli increased the levels of goods it allows into
Gaza Strip after the six-month ceasefire took hold last Thursday. But the firing
of two rockets by Islamic Jihad into Israel Tuesday violated the ceasefire and
Israel responded by withholding the easing of the embargo on the
Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
"Hamas is committed to the lull and called on the
Palestinian factions to restrain and to work on securing the success of the
calmness," Barhoom said.
The Islamic Jihad said it fired the rockets in
response to the killing of one of its commander and another student in West
Bank. The territory is not included in the ceasefire deal but the small Islamic
faction insists it has the right to respond to the Israeli military operations
anywhere.
Meanwhile, Barhoom called on Egypt to press Israel to
stop its raids, pointing out to a number of Israeli violations which included
the shooting at two farmers in separate incidents in Gaza Strip.
Hamas seized control of Gaza
Strip in June 2007 after routing security forces of Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas. Israel, which doesn't recognize Hamas, imposed a blockade and
increased its attacks into Gaza Strip until Egypt brokered a ceasefire between
the two sides.
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Palestinian Hamas militants take part in
a training exercise in Gaza June 24, 2008. Militants in the
Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip fired several rockets into southern Israel on
Tuesday, breaching a five-day-old ceasefire after Israeli troops killed
two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.(Xinhua/Reuters
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>> |
