Palestinian Militants Attack Israel With Rockets,
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Date: 12/24/2008 1:45:56 PM
Sender: By VOA News
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Palestinian Militants Attack Israel With Rockets, Mortars
By VOA News
24 December 2008
Palestinian militants from Popular Resistance Committees carry homemade rockets on outskirts of Gaza City, 24 Dec 2008
Gaza militants have fired a barrage of rockets and mortars into southern Israel, hurting chances of renewing a cease-fire between the Jewish state and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Gunmen launched more than 60 rockets and mortar shells Wednesday, damaging structures including a home in the city of Ashkelon, about 15 kilometers north of Gaza.
No casualties were reported.
Israel＇s security Cabinet met Wednesday to consider retaliation but did not reveal what was discussed. But an Israeli spokesman, Mark Regev, blamed Hamas for destroying the six-month truce that ended last week, and warned Israel will answer the attacks with actions to defend its people.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Wednesday for a renewal of the cease-fire.
In Gaza, two militants were killed and at least three Palestinian civilians were wounded by explosives that apparently misfired.
The latest Palestinian attacks prompted Israel to cancel plans to allow deliveries of supplies into the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Israel had said it would allow humanitarian aid and commercial goods to enter the territory Wednesday out of respect for a temporary cease-fire with Hamas.
But Israel called off the deliveries after Hamas attacked the Jewish state Wednesday in retaliation for the killing of three militants by the Israeli army Tuesday.
The unrest ended a period of calm Hamas had agreed to at the suggestion of Egyptian mediators.
Israel has said its foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, will meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo Thursday for talks about a new truce in Gaza.
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