Gaza City, Aug 22: The Israeli Army re-imposed a roadblock on the main highway through the Gaza Strip this morning, cutting the territory in two and undoing one of the confidence-building measures adopted under a US-backed peace roadmap. Troops had only lifted the roadblock near the Qatif block of Jewish settlements south of Gaza City in late July when a three-month truce declared by the main Palestinian militant groups on June 29 remained in force.

However, an Israeli air raid on Gaza City yesterday, which killed a Hamas leader spurred the largest militant group to abandon its ceasefire and launch renewed mortar and rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip overnight. Hamas's military wing, the Ezzedin al-Qassam Brigades, said it fired five makeshift rockets at the southern Israeli town of Sderot, which caused damage but no casualties, Israeli military sources said.

The group said it also fired some 15 mortar rounds at Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip. Bureau Report