Gaza City, July 04: The Palestinian security forces arrested four people believed to have broken the suspension of attacks on Israel after a rocket attack in the south of the Gaza Strip, security sources said. The four men, members of the popular resistance forces, a coaliton of groups opposed to the Israeli occupation, fired rockets yesterday at the Kfar Darom settlement, slightly wounding three people. Following the incident, Israeli troops dragged concrete blocks onto the road at the Abu Gholi and al-Matahen checkpoints, in the central and southern Gaza Strip, trapping cars between the two, witnesses said.

Palestinian security Chief Mohammed Dahlan had promised earlier in the day that those responsible would be arrested by the end of the day, and he vowed: "whoever breaks the ceasefire will be taken before the courts." He added that the "key to an end to the violence" was in the Israelis' hands. The rocket attack was condemned by Palestinian premier Mahmud Abbas as an "act of sabotage." It came after four radical groups and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction agreed on an end to anti-Israeli attacks for at least three months.

Also today, Yasser Arafat's Fatah Movement condemned the attack, saying it was also an attack on the Palestinian people and their future.


Bureau Report