Gaza City: Gaza`s Hamas rulers said today they will enforce a "national
consensus" truce after weeks in which militants have fired
dozens of rockets into southern Israel.
In recent days, Hamas leaders have said they were
holding talks with Palestinian factions in Gaza to halt the
rise in rocket-fire, which has raised fears of a large-scale
Israeli incursion.
"The Palestinian government will play its role in
strengthening the national consensus and will make everyone
commit to it," Hamas spokesman Taher al-Nunu said in a
statement on Tuesday.
Nunu said Hamas would also "repeat its call to the
Palestinian factions to respect the national consensus" -- a
truce that the militant group announced in January 2009 at the
end of Israel`s devastating "Operation Cast Lead."
The 22-day war, which ended in a ceasefire on January
18, killed 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 13
Israelis, 10 of them soldiers.
In recent weeks, militants have fired dozens of
rockets at communities in southern Israel, causing damage and
several casualties.
Israel has responded by launching retaliatory
air-strikes, and warning it will not tolerate continued rocket
strikes, raising fears of Israeli retaliation.
This morning, a rocket fired from Gaza landed in the
western region of Israel`s southern Negev desert, the Israeli
military said.
And yesterday, militants fired three rockets into
Israel hours after the Israeli air force launched twin strikes
on the Gaza Strip.
About 24 rockets and mortar rounds have been fired
from the area into Israel since the beginning of this year,
according to military figures.
PTI
