Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

    RAMALLAH, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Israeli settlers fired on Monday a homemade rocket at two villages south of the West Bank city of Nablus, causing no injuries, Palestinian security sources and witnesses said.

    Hani Abdelatif, member of the municipal council of the village of Awarta told reporters that a 40-centimeter homemade rocket landed on Monday afternoon on a valley between the villages of Awarta and Odla south of Nablus, causing no damages or injuries.

    Palestinian security sources said it is the first time that Jewish settlers fire homemade rockets at Palestinian villages near Nablus.

    The sources said a group of settlers, belonging to one of the Jewish schools in the settlement of Yitzhar south of Nablus, are responsible for making the rockets and fire it at Palestinian villages.

    A statement issued by the Palestinian presidency in Ramallah said the Palestinian National Authority condemned the homemade rockets attacks and called on Israel to arrest the group and stop the attacks of the Palestinians.

    Settlements expansion in the West Bank is a major obstacle for achieving a progress in the Middle East peace process.

    Gaza militant groups were launching homemade rockets from Gaza Strip at southern Israeli communities. However, they stopped their rockets attacks following a truce brokered by Egypt between Gaza and Israel.