Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

    GAZA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Jihad movement's armed wing on Thursday said the ceasefire with Israel in Gaza Strip was "fragile and was expected to end at any time."

    "We are using the lull to prepare fighters for the coming phase of confrontation," a spokesman for al-Quds Brigades, the Islamic Jihad's armed wing, said.

    "Soon, we will be engaged in fierce battles against the occupation in Gaza Strip," the spokesman added, expecting that Israel will increase its strikes against the armed Palestinian groups when it retrieve its soldier who is held hostage in the Gaza Strip.

    Egypt brokered the six-month ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the largest Islamic group which controls Gaza, in order to restore calmness and ease the blockade that Israel imposed on the territory last year to isolate Hamas.

    Recently, Hamas itself said there will be no regret if Israel withdrew from the ceasefire deal since the commercial crossings into Gaza did not open properly and Israel kept violating the deal from time to time despite the full commitment by Hamas.

    Meanwhile, al-Quds Brigades said the ceasefire has witnessed 10Israeli violations in its eighth week. The ceasefire took effect on June 19.

    "Most of he violations, this week, targeted the Palestinian fishermen and their boats in the sea to prevent them from fishing," the group said in its weekly report about the ceasefire.