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Palestinian factions halt rocket attacks on Israel

Atul Aneja

Olmert hopes for political breakthrough

— PHOTO: AFP

PARTING SHOT: A Palestinian boy walks past a destroyed factory, shelled by the Israeli army prior to their pulling out of the area near the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip on Sunday.

DUBAI: The ceasefire deal between the Palestinian Authority and Israel appears to be holding despite sporadic attacks on Israeli territory on Sunday.

At least three rockets were fired into Israel, with one landing in the border town of Sderot. The strikes did not cause any casualties. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert underplayed the incident, and said there would not be any immediate retaliation.

Speaking during a visit to a school in southern Israel, Mr. Olmert said his country had "the strength to show the patience and restraint to allow the ceasefire to take hold. I have personally told our security forces to show restraint."

He hinted that the ceasefire could become part of a larger political breakthrough. Mr. Olmert said the agreement could be "extended into the West Bank and that it can lead to serious, direct negotiations which could lead to a full settlement."

Military tensions between Israel and the Palestinians eased on Saturday night after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas telephoned Mr. Olmert to say that all Palestinian factions had agreed to halt firing rockets into Israel. The deal would be possible if all Israeli forces in Gaza withdrew.

Haniyeh assurance

Though Israel had agreed to pull out of Gaza after 38 years of occupation, its ground troops had launched a fresh offensive in June following the seizure by Palestinian militants of an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit. Israeli officials confirmed that all its troops had left Gaza.

Responding to Sunday's rocket attacks, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said fresh efforts had been mounted to prevent the repeat of such incidents. "Contacts were made with the political leaderships of the factions and there is a reaffirmation of the commitment of what has been agreed to," Reuters news agency quoted him as saying. The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attacks, but officials said that "rogue" elements were responsible for the strikes. Meanwhile, the top leader of Hamas, Khalid Meshaal, said during a visit to Cairo "there is a historic opportunity for a Palestinian State [to emerge] within 1967 borders." He, however, warned that a new uprising would begin unless the "international community" ensured that a Palestinian state emerged within six months.

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