Israeli Launches Airstrikes At Gaza After Militants Fire Rockets After West Bank Raid Killed 11

 

 Reuters: Gaza border heats up after West Bank violence 

Tensions flared there - as well as fears of a broader escalation - a day after an Israeli raid on Nablus in the occupied West Bank killed 11 Palestinians and wounded more than 100.

Palestinians went on strike across the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza on Thursday. 

Schools, universities, shops and banks closed their doors. 

Nafez Sider lives in Hebron. "It is a day of mourning and a strike. How could we work or eat or drink while our brothers in Nablus are being killed? We had to stand in solidarity with them, with the people of Nablus, and there had to be a general strike in the whole West Bank and Gaza and thank God there is." 

Israel's military said six rockets were fired from Gaza, setting off air raid sirens in southern Israel. 

Five were intercepted and no injuries were reported.  

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WNU Editor: Today's attacks are stemming form yesterday's Israeli military operation in the West Bank that killed 11 Palestinians and wounded more than 100 .... 11 Palestinians killed during Israeli raid targeting militants in West Bank (CNN). More here .... Israeli troops conduct deadly raid in flashpoint West Bank city (France 24).  

Update: This is not going to help the deteriorating security situation .... Scoop: Palestinians threaten to pull out of security summit after deadly IDF raid (Axios). 

 Israeli Launches Airstrikes At Gaza After Militants Fire Rockets After West Bank Raid Killed 11

Gaza rockets, Israeli strikes follow deadly West Bank raid -- AP  

Israel launches airstrikes on Gaza after rocket attacks as violence escalates -- CNN 

Gaza militants fire rockets, Israel mounts airstrikes after deadly West Bank raid -- L.A. Times  

Israel and Gaza militants exchange fire a day after Israeli raids in occupied West Bank -- ABC News Australia  

Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza after militants fire rockets in wake of West Bank raid -- The Guardian

Israel bombs Hamas sites in Gaza, hours after rockets shot toward Ashkelon, Sderot -- Times of Israel  

Gaza-Israel exchange of fire follows deadly West Bank raid -- BBC  

Israel bombs Gaza after rocket fire, deadly Nablus raid -- Al Jazeera

Israel Says It Hit Hamas Rrocket Factory In Gaza

Fire and smoke rise above buildings in Gaza City as Israel launched air strikes on the Palestinian enclave  

Times of Israel: IDF: Israeli jets strike underground Hamas facility in central Gaza 

Military says airstrikes on weapons site come in response to rocket fire Saturday; warning sirens sound in Sderot, Kibbutz Nir Am, near Palestinian enclave 

Israeli fighter jets targeted an underground weapons facility in the central Gaza Strip overnight Sunday-Monday in response to a rocket launch from the Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave on Saturday evening, intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system. 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a short statement early Monday that the targeted facility produced raw materials for manufacturing rockets and was run by the Hamas terror group. 

The attack on the underground facility “harms Hamas’ ability” to produce weapons, the IDF said. 

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Israel Says It Hit Hamas Rrocket Factory In Gaza

IDF attacks Hamas rocket factory in Gaza Strip -- Jerusalem Post 

Explosions rock Gaza, Israel says it hit Hamas rocket factory -- Reuters 

Israeli Air Strike Hits Hamas Complex In Gaza: Military -- AFP 

Israeli air strike hits Hamas complex in Gaza -military -- RTE

Israel Launches Air Strikes Against Hamas Targets In The Gaza Strip

The Israeli air force has carried out overnight air strikes in the Gaza Strip © STR / AFP 

France 24: Israel strikes Gaza after rocket fired from enclave 

The Israeli air force said it had carried out overnight air strikes against sites of the Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip after a rocket was fired from the Palestinian enclave towards Israeli territory. 

The Israeli army reported on Saturday evening a rocket had been fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, the first in a month. 

The attack came as one of Gaza's larger armed factions, Islamic Jihad, threatened to retaliate after Israeli troops killed two of its leaders in the West Bank town of Jenin on Thursday.  

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Israel Launches Air Strikes Against Hamas Targets In The Gaza Strip  

Israeli aircraft hit Gaza after rocket fire -- AP  

WATCH: IDF strikes Hamas rocket factory in Gaza in response to rocket fire -- Jerusalem Post  

Hamas fires at Israeli jets as air force hits terror group following rocket attack -- Times of Israel 

Israel strikes Gaza after rocket fired from enclave -- RFI

Israel - Gaza War -- News Updates May 11, 2021

 

 France 24: Dozens dead as Israel and Hamas hurtle towards 'full scale war' 

Hostilities between Israel and Hamas escalated on Tuesday, raising the death toll in two days to 32 Palestinians and three people in Israel, with Israel carrying out multiple air strikes in Gaza and the militant group firing rockets at Tel Aviv. 

A 13-story residential building in Gaza collapsed after it was hit by an Israeli air strike, one of hundreds that Israel said it had carried out against Hamas targets. 

They were the most intensive aerial exchanges between Israel and Hamas since a 2014 war in Gaza, and prompted international concern that the situation could spiral out of control. 

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 Israel - Hamas War -- Live Updates  

The Latest: Israeli aircraft strike another building in Gaza -- AP  

Live Updates: After Gaza barrages, major rioting and chaos erupt in Lod; Mayor: It’s civil war -- Jerusalem Post  

Live: UN Middle East envoy warns Israel, Hamas heading to 'full scale war' -- France 24  

Jerusalem tensions: Tel Aviv hit with rocket fire from Gaza — live updates -- DW 

Israel - Gaza War -- News Updates May 11, 2021 

Israel, Hamas escalate fighting with no end in sight -- AP  

Dozens dead as Israel and Hamas escalate aerial bombardments -- Reuters  

Rockets target Tel Aviv after Gaza tower destroyed -- BBC  

Rocket barrage on Tel Aviv continues throughout night amid IDF Gaza attack -- Jerusalem Post  

Israel, Hamas continue to exchange fire as deadly confrontation persists -- FOX News  

Hamas hits central Israel with unprecedented rocket fire; woman killed -- Times of Israel  

Hamas takes aim at Israel's Tel Aviv as military conflict in the Middle East escalates -- ABC News (Australia)  

Israel: Hamas launches rocket attack on Tel Aviv -- SKY News  

All Hell Breaks Loose: Hamas Fires 130 Rockets On Tel Aviv, Israel Collapses 13-Story Building In Gaza -- Zero Hedge  

Israeli TV reports DIRECT HIT on Tel Aviv building as Palestinians launch ‘hundreds’ of rockets from Gaza (VIDEO) -- RT  

UPDATE 1-Israeli energy pipeline hit in Gaza rocket attack, sources say -- Reuters  

Trump blames 'soft' Biden for Hamas rocket attacks on Israel as 130 missiles rain down on Tel Aviv and Israeli retaliation attacks destroy Gaza buildings: 28 Palestinians dead, including ten children, and two Israeli women -- Daily Mail 

31 people dead as Netanyahu vows to intensify Gaza attacks -- The Guardian 

Israel’s Netanyahu vows to step up attacks on Hamas amid violence escalation -- France 24  

Gaza: Hamas, Islamic Jihad vow to step up rockets against Israel -- Jerusalem Post

Rockets Explode Overhead During Fox News' Trey Yingst Report

 

FOX News: Rockets explode overhead during Fox News' Trey Yingst appearance as Hamas missile attack on Israel continues 

FOX News' Trey Yingst joins 'Special Report' as the Iron Dome intercepts Hamas rocket 

Explosions were heard overhead during Fox News foreign correspondent Trey Yingst's appearance on "Special Report" as the terrorist organization Hamas continued to fire off rockets into Israel late Monday. 

YINGST: Those rockets continue to be fired into Southern Israel at this moment, all along the Gaza Strip. Overhead we can hear Israeli drones and fighter jets. Israel is preparing their retaliation against the factions there.  

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WNU Editor: That's one way to get the adrenaline flowing.

Hamas, Israel Trade Rocket Fire And Airstrikes

 

Daily Mail: Twenty killed - including nine children - as Israel launches air strikes in Gaza in response to Hamas firing rockets towards Jerusalem after clashes in the Holy City left hundreds injured 

 * Gaza authorities reported nine children and senior Hamas commander were among those killed in air strikes 

* Came after Hamas fired rockets at Israel in response to clashes in Jerusalem that left hundreds wounded 

* Israel said anti-tank missiles had been fired, while witnesses reported three explosions as sirens sounded 

* Came after Hamas issued an ultimatum to Israel to withdraw security forces from Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque and Muslim areas of the Old City, where clashes took place with Palestinians on Monday 

 * Tensions have been simmering since the start of Ramadan last month but exploded into violence on Friday and have been ongoing since, with more than 700 Palestinians injured today 

Israel launched deadly air strikes on Gaza Monday in response to a barrage of rockets fired by Hamas and other Palestinian militants, amid spiralling violence sparked by unrest at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. 

At least 20 people were killed, including nine children and a senior Hamas commander, and 65 others wounded, Gaza authorities said. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Hamas had crossed a 'red line' by directing missiles towards Jerusalem and that the Jewish state would 'respond with force'.

'We will not tolerate attacks on our territory, our capital, our citizens and our soldiers. Those who attack us will pay a heavy price.' 

Israel's army said 150 rockets had been launched from Gaza, dozens of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome Aerial Defence System, with no casualties reported.

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More News On Israel And Hamas Exchanging Military Strikes  

IDF says it hit 130 targets in Gaza overnight after 200 rockets fired at Israel -- Times Of Israel 

Gaza militants, Israel trade new rocket fire and airstrikes -- AP  

Dozens killed as Israel launches airstrikes on Gaza Strip after Hamas rocket attacks -- France 24 

Jerusalem violence leads to rockets, air strikes -- Reuters  

Israel launches airstrikes on Gaza Strip after Hamas rocket attacks -- The Guardian  

Israel strikes Gaza, Hamas fires rockets after hundreds of Palestinians wounded in clashes -- CBS 

Israel responds to Hamas rockets with deadly airstrikes in Gaza -- DW 

6 Israelis wounded as Hamas launches massive rocket barrage on Ashkelon -- Times of Israel  

Israel bombs targets across Gaza after Hamas rocket barrage & unrest in Jerusalem (VIDEOS) -- RT

Hamas Claims Rocket Attack On Jerusalem

 

Reuters: Hamas claims rocket attacks on Israel after clashes in Jerusalem 

JERUSALEM, May 10 (Reuters) - Hamas said it fired rockets at Israel on Monday, triggering warning sirens in Jerusalem and near the Gaza border, in an apparent response by the militant group to the injury of more than 300 Palestinians in clashes with Israeli police outside al Aqsa mosque. 

Hamas, an Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip, had given Israel an ultimatum to stand down its forces at al Aqsa and another Jerusalem flashpoint by 6 p.m. (1500 GMT). 

Minutes after the deadline passed, sirens blared in Jerusalem and several explosions were heard. Hamas claimed responsibility, and there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.  

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WNU Editor: Israel's retailiatory strikes is resulting in casualties in Gaza .... Palestinians say nine killed in Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip (Jerusalem Post). 

More News On Hamas Launching Rocket Attacks On Israel  

Jerusalem tensions: Explosions heard as Hamas claims rocket attack— live updates -- DW  

3 rockets fired from Gaza in early morning attack, at least 1 intercepted -- Times of Israel 

Rocket barrages hit Israel from Gaza, sirens sounded in Jerusalem -- Jerusalem Post  

Jerusalem violence: Rockets fired from Gaza after major clashes -- BBC  

Hamas fires rockets deep into Israel, escalating tensions -- ABC News/AP  

Hamas claims rocket attacks on Israel after clashes in Jerusalem -- Reuters  

Hamas fires rockets toward Jerusalem and southern Israel -- The Hill

Islamic State Affiliate Fires Rockets Into Israel From Gaza. Israel Retaliates

Reuters: Israel bombs Gaza sites after rocket attack claimed by Islamic State sympathizer

Israel retaliated on Thursday for rockets fired at it from Gaza with bombing raids against three militant training camps, and a radical group sympathetic with Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks on Israel.

Witnesses and medics said the predawn attacks on two camps belonging to Hamas, which dominates the Gaza Strip, and to the smaller Palestinian group Islamic Jihad caused some damage but no casualties.

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said in a statement that Israel held Hamas responsible for the rocket attacks from Gaza "even if those doing the shooting are rogue gangs from global jihadi groups trying to challenge Hamas by shooting at us".

More News On The Resumption Of Missile Attacks On Israel From Gaza

Israel, Gaza Militants Trade Strikes for Second Time in Ten Days -- NBC
Israel issues air strikes on Gaza after Islamic State sympathisers claim rocket fire -- News.com.au
Rocket Fire From Gaza Toward Southern Israel Has Been Renewed -- Algemeiner
Israel raids Gaza, Islamic State sympathisers claim rocket fire -- Sydney Morning Herald
Gaza Strip: Islamic State militants fire rockets at Israel... Israel retaliates with airstrikes -- IBTimes
ISIS Affiliate in Gaza Says It Fired Rockets at Israel After Spat with Hamas -- PJ Media
Isis Supporters Claim Rocket Attack on Israel, Call it Retaliation for Hamas' Killing of Salafist Leader -- IBTimes
ISIS-Affiliated Group: More Rocket Attacks on Israel Coming -- Arutz Sheva
Isis declares war on Israel: Islamic State affiliate in Gaza Strip threatens 'worse is coming' -- IBTimes
Pro-Islamic State Group Claims Responsibility for Rocket Attacks on Israel -- VICE News

Is Hamas About To Recognize Israel?

Hamas Would Abide By PLO Recognition Of Israel, Legislator Says -- Chicago Tribune/Bloomberg

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Hamas will keep trying to join the Palestine Liberation Organization even though it would be required to honor the PLO's recognition of Israel, a lawmaker representing the militant Islamist group says.

Ahmad Attoun, elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council from east Jerusalem in 2006, said in an interview that Hamas wants to move beyond the unity agreement it struck in June with President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party to govern the West Bank and Gaza together. Joining the PLO would place it in the umbrella organization that determines foreign policy and is fighting for Palestine to be accepted as an independent state.

Israel condemned the Hamas-Fatah unity deal when it was first presented in April after the breakdown of peace talks brokered by Secretary of State John Kerry. The breach set the stage for the eruption of tensions with Israel that led to a 50-day military conflict in Gaza, leaving more than 2,100 Palestinians and 70 Israelis dead and the coastal territory devastated.

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My Comment: Ahmad Attoun's position has not been publicly backed by the Hamas leadership in Gaza or by the group's political chief Khaled Mashaal in Qatar. But if this report is true it is a small opening .... correction .... a very very small opening .... that maybe (just maybe) .... a level of talks and discussions will start among Palestinian groups that they may need to pursue other strategies and policies that does not include violence in their decades long conflict with Israel.

Update #1: At least it is not their #1 option (so they say) .... AP Interview: Hamas No. 2 Says War a Lesser Option (ABC News)
Update #2: Hamas says indirect truce talks with Israel to resume within week -- Haaretz

Israeli Soldier Commended For His Selfless Act Of Not Not Wanting His Comrade's Body Taken By The Enemy

IDF soldiers expose Gaza 'terror tunnel' (file). IDF Spokesperson Unit

IDF Soldier Selflessly Pursued Terrorists in Gaza Tunnel -- Arutz Sheva

The son of olim from New York is the soldier who provided the IDF with the findings that enabled to determine the death of Lt. Hadar Goldin.

The findings that enabled the IDF’s Chief Rabbinate to declare the death of Lt. Hadar Goldin were provided by an IDF commander who fearlessly and selflessly pursued the terrorists who abducted Goldin's body.

First Lieutenant Eitan, the son of olim (immigrants) from New York, realized following Friday morning’s incident that the Hamas terrorists who attacked Goldin and two other soldiers had taken off with Goldin’s body.

Eitan then proceeded to pursue the terrorists through one of Hamas’s terror tunnels, doing so despite the fact that it was against orders and despite the huge risk involved in running through a tunnel that could be booby-trapped.

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My Comment: Another story of "brothers in arms".

Israeli Jets Strike Targets In The Gaza Strip

Photo from Press TV

IAF Strikes Targets In Gaza In Response To Rocket Fire -- Jerusalem Post

Follows 11 rockets fired at western Negev, Ashkelon area in less than 24 hours; 4 mortar shells fired contained white phosphorous; Salah-al-Din Brigades claim mortar fire response to IDF assassination of terrorists.

Following multiple rockets and mortar shells being fired into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip on Friday, the IDF confirmed that IAF jets successfully struck three terror-related targets in Gaza in response.

Palestinian sources reported that an Islamic Jihad training base was among the targets attacked by the IAF. Eight total injuries were reported in the airstrikes.

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More News On Israeli Strikes In The Gaza Strip

Phosphorous fired from Gaza -- Ynet News
Israel warplanes attack Gaza target after rockets-witnesses -- Reuters
Israeli Military: Rocket Fired into Israel from Gaza -- Voice of America
Israel reports hitting targets in Gaza -- CNN
Israel shells Gaza 'in retaliation' -- Al Jazeera
Five wounded in Israel air strikes in Gaza -- AFP
Israel planes hit Gaza targets after rocket fire -- Reuters
Israeli fighter jets attack Gaza -- Press TV (Iran)

Hamas Makes It Clear. No Peace With Israel

Image: Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal leaves the Russian Foreign Ministry headquarters after meeting Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow February 8, 2010. Photo from RT

Hamas Chief: 'No Prospect' Of Israeli-Arab Peace Deals -- Voice of America

The leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, Khaled Mashaal, says he sees no prospect of Israeli-Arab peace agreements under Israel's current leadership.

Speaking on visit to Moscow Monday, Mashaal denounced Israel's government as one of "war and occupation." Hamas controls the Gaza Strip and refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist. It engaged in a brief war with Israel at the turn of last year in which about 1,300 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed.

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My Comment: Hamas brings nothing to the table except it's wish to see Israel destroyed. With such conditions .... forward progress will never happen.

Israeli Leaders 'To Topple Hamas'

From The BBC:

The two leading candidates to become Israel's next prime minister have vowed if elected to topple the Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas, in Gaza.

The threats by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Likud party leader Binyamin Netanyahu came after PM Ehud Olmert warned against making bold statements.

A six-month Egyptian-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas, which runs Gaza, came to an end on Friday.

On Sunday rockets fired by militants in Gaza hit a house in the town of Sderot.

No-one was injured in the attack, though a worker at a nearby farming community was hurt when another device landed in a field.

The Israeli military has said militants fired some 30 rockets and mortar bombs into Israel on Saturday. A Palestinian militant was killed in an Israeli air strike.

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Tension surges as Gaza truce ends

Tens of thousands of Hamas supporters attend a rally in Gaza City

Tension Surges As Gaza Truce Ends -- AFP

GAZA CITY (AFP) — Tension surged in and around Gaza on Friday as the Islamist rulers of the besieged Palestinian enclave declared an end to the troubled truce with Israel and warned they would respond to any attack.

Shortly after the armed wing of Hamas formally announced the shaky six-month truce was over, the smaller Islamic Jihad group said it fired three rockets at Israel, which reported no damage or casualties.

Security sources also reported that an Israeli driving a tractor in a field just outside the Gaza Strip was targeted by Palestinian gunmen but not hit.

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More News On The Rising Tensions Between Israel And Hamas

Hamas declares Israel truce over -- BBC
A Gaza Truce Undone by Flaws May Be Revived by Necessity -- New York Times
Hamas Formally Ends Truce with Israel -- Los Angeles Times
Hamas Ends Ceasefire with Israel -- Daily Telegraph
Hamas announces end to ceasefire with Israel -- RIA Novosti
Israelis, Gazans Brace for Cease-fire's End -- Christian Science Monitor
Bahraini Ambassador Masters DC Diplomacy -- Washington Post
Rockets and gunfire on Gaza border as truce ends -- AP
Eight Palestinians killed in Israel Air Force strikes in Gaza -- The Hindu

Hamas - Israel Conflict Will Be One Of President Obama's Challenges

End to Hamas-Israel Cease-Fire Poses Challenge For Obama Administration -- FOX News

The end of a six-month cease-fire between Hamas and Israel could hamper the long-term peace process in the region.

As if the threat of a nuclear Iran and the challenge of rising violence in Afghanistan weren't cause enough for concern, Barack Obama's incoming administration was dealt the news Thursday that Hamas doesn't intend to renew its expiring cease-fire with Israel.

The end of the six-month cease-fire, coming only a month before President-elect Obama takes office, could complicate his administration's efforts in the peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

The cease-fire, which has been broken sporadically, was negotiated with the help of the Egyptians. It was set to expire Friday, but escalating violence along the border in recent weeks -- including a barrage of rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip over the past few days -- signaled the agreement likely would not be extended.

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My Comment: One side wants to be left alone ... the other side wants to destroy you. The options are very limited on what President Obama can do.

Hamas Declares End To Gaza Cease-Fire With Israel

Hamas firing rockets into Israel (Photo taken from Boston.com)

From Haaretz:

The militant Islamist organization Hamas announced Thursday evening that the cease-fire with Israel in Gaza is over, 24 hours before the six-month truce was due to expire.

"The calm, which was reached with Egyptian sponsorship on June 19 and expires on December 19, is finished because the enemy did not abide by its obligations," said Hamas official Ayman Taha, who respresented the group in talks with other Palestinian factions. "The calm is over."

Hamas has ruled Gaza since June 2007, when it seized control of the territory after days of bloody streetbattles with the rival Fatah movement.

The past six months have seen a dramatic drop in the number of rockets and mortars fired at southern Israel from Gaza, but close to 50 rockets have been fired over the past three days, giving weight to Hamas declarations this week that the calm period is over.

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My Comment: This is not a surprise .... what is a surprise is that this lasted (more or less) for 6 months.

Hamas Rules Out Truce With Israel

An Israeli tank drives near the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip Photo: AP

Hamas Rules Out Extending Truce -- Yahoo News/AFP

GAZA CITY (AFP) – Hamas on Thursday ruled out renewing the truce in and around Gaza and insisted the Islamist rulers of the Palestinian territory have a duty to respond to any attack by Israel.

"There is no possibility of renewing the truce which ends on December 19 (Friday). The Zionist enemy destroyed it," Fawzi Barhum told AFP as violence flared around the Gaza Strip one day before the ceasefire was to expire.

"We at Hamas have the right to respond to any Zionist aggression against the Palestinian people. It's a national duty," he said, adding however that the Islamist movement would act "according to the situation on the ground."

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More News On The End Of The Truce Between Israel And Hamas

What will happen after Israel-Gaza ceasefire ends? -- China View
Israel threatens Gaza incursion as Hamas violence flares -- The Telegraph
U.N. agency says suspends Gaza food distribution -- International Herald Tribune
UN agency suspends Gaza food aid -- Al Jazeera
UN: Gaza unemployment rises to 49 percent -- Jerusalem Post

Gaza Militants Ready For End Of Truce With Israel

From Yahoo News/AP:

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Masked Palestinian gunmen practice capturing Israeli soldiers, training videos show how to make grenades and rocket squads fire daily at Israeli border towns.

It looks like a warmup for battle.

Gaza's Islamic Hamas rulers say a six-month cease-fire with Israel formally ends Friday, and Hamas and smaller armed groups won't say clearly whether they will extend it. The vagueness, and rocket fire, could be signs of a new round of fighting, or merely a negotiating tactic to pressure Israel.

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Israeli Missile Kills Gazan Man

From Al Jazeera:

A Palestinian man has been killed and two others injured in an Israeli air raid on the town of Beit Lahiya, Gazan medics have said.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said Wednesday's raid was aimed at Gazan rocket-firing squads and was launched in response to earlier attacks on the city of Sderot in southern Israel.

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Jurists Tell Barak: Don't Shell Gaza Population Centers

From Haaretz:

Israel should not use artillery fire to target rocket-launching militants in the Gaza Strip if the fire is aimed at populated areas, the defense establishment's legal adviser recently told Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

"Artillery fire is permissible only in relatively open areas," Ahaz Benari wrote in the legal opinion. "Artillery fire at urban areas is problematic, if the assessment is that the chance that the shell will hit the launchers is relatively low, while the risk that many civilians will be hurt is substantial."

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