Als Islamitische Jihad en de Al Aqsa Martelaren Brigade alleen een staakt-het-vuren willen accepteren als dat ook voor de Westoever geldt, dan hadden ze niet met deze deal in moeten stemmen. Hamas had de goedkeuring van alle facties, zo zei men, en is verantwoordelijk voor alle aanvallen vanuit de Gazastrook. I.J. en Al Aqsa moeten zich maar op de Westoever wreken, maar oeps, dat lukt niet, want de checkpoints en Israëlische operaties maken het welhaast onmogelijk van daaruit aanslagen te plegen. Het is niet eerlijk.
Ondertussen is de vraag hoelang Israël dergelijke schendingen van het staakt-het-vuren nog zal accepteren. Als de wapensmokkel doorgaat, Hamas zich niet flexibeler opstelt wat betreft Shalit, en de mensen in Sderot en omgeving nog steeds in angst voor de Qassams leven, wat is dan precies Israëls belang van deze deal??
Ratna
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Last update - 14:49 26/06/2008
Week into cease-fire, fifth Qassam strikes Negev
By Avi Issacharoff, Barak Ravid, Yossi Melman, and Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondents
Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired a Qassam rocket at the western Negev on Thursday, threatening to further derail an already shaky week-old truce.
The rocket exploded in an open area near a Negev industrial zone. There were no injuries or damages in the incident.
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, a militant group belonging to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction, claimed responsibility for the attack and demanded that the cease-fire be extended into the West Bank.
The rocket exploded in an open area near a Negev industrial zone. There were no injuries or damages in the incident.
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, a militant group belonging to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction, claimed responsibility for the attack and demanded that the cease-fire be extended into the West Bank.
"The rocket attack was in response to Israeli violations. Any calm deal must end Israeli attacks on our people in the West Bank too," said Abu Qusai, spokesman for the group.
Israel said it would keep its border crossings with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip closed for a second day on Thursday, prompting the Islamist group to warn that the move could wreck the truce.
The crossings were opened on the day the truce went into effect last Thursday, but a decision was made to close them again Tuesday evening, following a violation of the cease-fire by Islamic Jihad militants firing Qassam rockets into Israel.
Two Israelis were lightly wounded during those attacks, as four Qassam struck the western Negev town of Sderot and the surrounding area.
Israeli military liaison official Peter Lerner said that the crossings would remain closed on Thursday and no date had been set for their reopening.
"It depends on the assessment of the situation following Tuesday's rocket attack," Lerner said.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire that began a week ago.
"If this closure continues it will render the deal for calm meaningless," Abu Zuhri said.
"Securing the continuation of the Palestinian factions' commitment to the deal hinges on the Occupation's lifting of the siege and the opening of all the crossings in the first 10 days," he said, referring to Israel.
Defense officials expressed concern during Wednesday's meeting that a continuation of the border closure may result in a complete breakdown of the cease-fire agreement with Hamas.
However, following a reassessment of the security situation, it was decided to open the crossings over the weekend. The security assessment will also determine whether extensive quantities of goods and supplies will be allowed into the Gaza Strip.
Israel said it would keep its border crossings with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip closed for a second day on Thursday, prompting the Islamist group to warn that the move could wreck the truce.
The crossings were opened on the day the truce went into effect last Thursday, but a decision was made to close them again Tuesday evening, following a violation of the cease-fire by Islamic Jihad militants firing Qassam rockets into Israel.
Two Israelis were lightly wounded during those attacks, as four Qassam struck the western Negev town of Sderot and the surrounding area.
Israeli military liaison official Peter Lerner said that the crossings would remain closed on Thursday and no date had been set for their reopening.
"It depends on the assessment of the situation following Tuesday's rocket attack," Lerner said.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire that began a week ago.
"If this closure continues it will render the deal for calm meaningless," Abu Zuhri said.
"Securing the continuation of the Palestinian factions' commitment to the deal hinges on the Occupation's lifting of the siege and the opening of all the crossings in the first 10 days," he said, referring to Israel.
Defense officials expressed concern during Wednesday's meeting that a continuation of the border closure may result in a complete breakdown of the cease-fire agreement with Hamas.
However, following a reassessment of the security situation, it was decided to open the crossings over the weekend. The security assessment will also determine whether extensive quantities of goods and supplies will be allowed into the Gaza Strip.
Security officials said Wednesday that Israel would permit humanitarian cases to cross into Israel for medical assistance through the Erez crossing.
The Islamic Jihad militant group on Wednesday threatened to continue its rocket attacks on Israel, despite the truce.
Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer told Army Radio on Wednesday that Israel must respond to any continuation of Qassam fire with full force, despite the truce agreement.
"We will give them [Hamas] a chance, but if the Qassam fire on the Negev continues, Israel must respond in full force," Ben-Eliezer said.
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