by Saud Abu Ramadan
GAZA, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- Israel and Islamic Hamas movement had on Wednesday traded accusations over a growing tension between the two sides after a local Hamas commander was killed and an Israeli soldier was injured in a short gun-battle near the southeast borders of the Gaza Strip with Israel.
Earlier, Hamas said a local commander of its armed wing, known as al-Qassam Brigades, was killed in an exchange of fire with an Israeli army force in east of the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis.
Hamas officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, accused the Israeli army of sending a ground force backed by armored vehicles into the area, adding that a group of militants who guard the borderline area confronted the force and a gun-battle broke out in the areas between the two sides.
Explosion and gunshots were heard by witnesses during the exchange of fire. Israeli tank fired two random shells into the area, killed the Hamas militant and wounded a civilian.
Hamas movement said in an official emailed statement that it holds Israel responsible for the escalation in southern Gaza Strip, adding that "this serious violation was made today after a series of Zionist (Israeli) provocations in the Gaza Strip."
"Hamas warns of the danger of this Zionist escalation and its influence on the ongoing calm, therefore Hamas calls on all parties to halt any upcoming aggression in the Gaza Strip and on our people."
The exchange of fire between Hamas militants and the Israeli army force is the first of its kind since the end of an Israeli large-scale air and ground operation that lasted for 50 days and ended on Aug. 26.
Egypt brokered a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas-led militant groups in the Gaza Strip throughout indirect talks between the two sides. The indirect talks that were scheduled to be held in Cairo to reinforce the calm in Gaza were suspended due to the security situation in Sinai.
Five days ago, Israeli war jets struck a training facility which belongs to Hamas after a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel.
The airstrike and the exchange of fire on Wednesday were violations of an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire that ended hostilities between the two sides.
Israel Radio had earlier reported that Hamas militants had tested two rockets and fired them into the sea. The Israeli army warned Hamas of firing rockets into Israel and the offensive this time will be harsher and tougher.
Hamas militants and police evacuated their posts and locations allover the Gaza Strip after the exchange of fire near the fence of the borders in fear that Israeli war jets strike on their posts.
"Hamas reiterates that it is committed to the truce as long as and as much as the occupation is committed to, but at the same time, Hamas won't keep silent for this repeated Zionist crime," said Hamas statement, which called on other factions for an emergency meeting to discuss the current escalation.
Meanwhile, Israeli Radio reported that an Israeli army force was attacked by a roadside bomb, which is detonated by Hamas militants, seriously wounding an Israeli soldier.
The Israeli army force opened fire at the militants who detonated the bomb and exchanged fire with them, the Radio quoted Israeli army sources as saying, adding that two tanks shells were fired into the area.
The local commander of Hamas is the second Palestinian got killed in the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire had been reached on Aug. 26. Hamas complained to Egypt that Israel has been violating the ceasefire, while Israel accused Hamas of violating the deal by testing rockets and firing it into the sea.
Akram Atallah, a Gaza-based political analyst said he expects that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will escalate violence within the coming few weeks to help his right wing parties to win in the upcoming parliamentary elections due in Israel in March next year.
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