Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., June 19, 2008 Sivan 16, 5768 | | Israel Time: 11:38 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

IDF tanks operating in the Gaza Strip. (AP / Archives) Last update - 23:15 18/06/2008 Negev battered by dozens of Qassams, mortars as Gaza truce deadline nears By Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Gaza, Israel, Sderot  Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired some 40 Qassam rockets and 10 mortar shells at the western Negev over the course of Wednesday, just hours after Israel and Hamas agreed to a temporary cease-fire deal. Tensions remained high a day before the truce was to go into effect, with an especially high one-day total of fire from Gaza. No serious injuries were reported. Advertisement One of the Qassams scored a direct hit on a house in the western Negev town on Sderot and several people were treated for shock. Most of the rockets struck open fields in the western Negev, and one caused light damage to a nearby greenhouse. Palestinian militants also opened fire on Israel Defense Forces troops operating near the Gaza-Israel border fence, but none were wounded. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for much of the rocket fire, saying it was avenging Israeli airstrikes that killed 10 militants in the previous two days. Israel hit back with two more air strikes, wounding two Palestinians, according to Hamas security officials. At least six Palestinian militants were killed on Tuesday in a series of Israel Air Force attacks on the Gaza Strip, just as Israel and Hamas were in the final stages of an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire deal. Among the dead was Muataz Durmush, the second in command of the militant organization Army of Islam. The other casualties were also apparently members of the group. Muataz' half brother Mumtaz is considered the commander of the Army of Islam, which was involved in the 2006 kidnapping of Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit. Related articles: Olmert: Shalit release is inseparable part of Gaza truce deal ANALYSIS / Cease-fire deal means Hamas is calling the shots IAF Gaza strikes kill 6 including gunmen linked to Shalit kidnap Bookmark to del.icio.us   Fragile cease-fire Olmert: Gaza cease-fire is fragile, may be short lived. Unbalanced stance Italy FM: EU stance on Israel in past swayed by intolerance.   1.   One thousand dead palis for Shalit 18:04  |  Dror 18/06/08   2.   truce ??????????? 18:04  |  Dror 18/06/08   3.   must be ..................... 18:07  |  Avrum 18/06/08   4.   Militants? 18:14  |  JordanisPalestine 18/06/08   5.   If It Works, No More in the Morning 18:21  |  Mark of Lewiston 18/06/08   6.   Please, if your are really addicted to fire until 00:00, direct 18:32  |  Simon Mohammed 18/06/08   7.   Militants? 18:36  |  JordanisPalestine 18/06/08   8.   25 rockets fired at southern Israel over course of Wednesday. 18:57  |  ty 18/06/08   9.   Palestinians commit last war crimes before the ceasefire 19:04  |  Joe Sittizen 18/06/08   10.   Sending the tanks... 19:04  |  JP 18/06/08   11.   To Mark of Lewiston 19:22  |  Linichka 18/06/08   12.   50 rockets? 19:40  |  Ehud Olmert 18/06/08   13.   Stop whining 19:42  |  MK Vilnai 18/06/08   14.   To # 7 - What do you have to do to use the T word by Haaretz? 19:43  |  Arie 18/06/08   15.   What use for tanks if the IDF is lead by the surrender camp? 19:45  |  Absolute Sweden 18/06/08   16.   Hamas,Israel and the game of life and death. 20:07  |  Connie 18/06/08   17.   For JP # 10 20:18  |  Clickfool 18/06/08   18.   Apparently 20:19  |  Chris Linthwaite 18/06/08   19.   Please stop the game and fulish public. 20:22  |  Vital 18/06/08   20.   gaza will go up in smoke 20:46  |  frenz 18/06/08   21.   # 7 JordanisPalestine...be a Jewish settler. 20:53  |  Lynn 18/06/08   22.   HERE`S A PREDICTION 20:56  |  Ian 18/06/08   23.   one day before cease-fire in Lebanon 21:05  |  Dav 18/06/08   24.   Defining a "lull" - as per olmert barak and livni 21:24  |  Arie 18/06/08   25.   Those saviges will not stop 22:41  |  TOMY 18/06/08   26.   Fire the Ceasing Delegates instead 23:11  |  Zev 18/06/08   27.   truce? 23:45  |  shachar 18/06/08   28.   give the saboteurs no chance ! 01:27  |  Nixo 19/06/08   29.   Arab Terrorist Are So Predictable 01:54  |  Baruch Gold 19/06/08   30.   Clickfool #10 02:00  |  vik 19/06/08   31.   So-called ceasefire 05:06  |  Michael T 19/06/08   32.   This would be hilarious if... 06:38  |  Expat Okie 19/06/08

Read & React Israel-Hamas truce takes hold in Gaza Responses: 44 Editorial: A lengthy cease-fire is an achievement for Israel Responses: 15 ANALYSIS / For Gaza truce architect, Israel chose lesser of 2 evils Responses: 33 Rosner's Domain / The Joe Lieberman dilemma Responses: 11 Jerusalem denies services to Palestinian residents over the fence Responses: 12 Rosner's Domain The Joe Lieberman dilemma Will next U.S. Congress top current record number of Jewish lawmakers? Misunderstanding undivided Jerusalem (WTR) Guests: Weak relationship between later marriage and intermarriage Poll: Cease fire in Gaza is an achievement for... More Headlines 11:15 Israel-Hamas truce takes hold in Gaza 10:08 ANALYSIS / For truce architect, Israel chose lesser of two evils 11:37 Police locked inside West Bank settlement after demolishing illegal structure 10:41 Noam Shalit: Gaza siege mustn't be lifted until Gilad freed 09:57 Egypt to tell UN: Demand Israel hand over Shaba Farms to int'l peacekeepers 08:53 Eager yet untrusting, both sides of Gaza border await calm 08:56 Rosner's Domain / The Joe Lieberman dilemma 10:20 Iran says ready to negotiate on incentives to halt nuclear program 07:30 Defense officials: No prisoner swap with Hezbollah this weekend 09:03 J'lem city hall refuses services to area beyond separation fence 04:38 U.S. imposes financial clamps on alleged Hezbollah supporters 06:16 Taxis and trucks to clog main T.A. artery in fuel price protest 07:37 Skin cancer rates jump 24 percent in 2006 Previous Editions Select Day 18 jun 17 jun 16 jun 15 jun 13 jun 12 jun 11 jun 10 jun 09 jun 08 jun 06 jun 05 jun

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