Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

    GAZA, June 28 (Xinhua) -- A senior Hamas leader on Saturday slammed two Palestinian factions for violating an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire and launching rockets into Israel.

    Since the six-month ceasefire took effect on June 19, three rocket attacks took place by Islamic Jihad and a group affiliated with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement.

    Mahmoud Zahar, a Hamas leader who participated in the ceasefire talks, said his movement held a meeting with the other Palestinian parties to urge them to commit to the lull which aims to end the Israeli economic sanctions on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

    "We agreed with the Islamic Jihad that anyone violates the ceasefire would be arrested and disarmed even if he is from Hamas," Zahar told reporters in Gaza. He added that firing rockets after the ceasefire took effect is "an act sabotaging the program of resistance."

    Zahar also refused statements that, by this act, Hamas will turn to force policing the border with Israel.

    Meanwhile, Zahar said Hamas forces arrested people who tried to hinder the ceasefire by stealing machines from a key crossing point into Gaza, opening fire on trucks carrying goods into the coastal Strip and firing rockets into Nahal Oz fuel crossing.

    Israel stopped short from going ahead with reopening commercial crossing points into Gaza after the rocket attacks. But Hamas said Israel told Egypt the crossings will be reopened on Tuesday.

    Hamas routed security forces loyal to President Abbas and took control of Gaza in June 2007. Since then, Israel imposed a blockade on the impoverished Strip.