Palestinian militants threaten new attack on Israel

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

GAZA, Dec 3 (Reuters) Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad threatened to attack Israel ''in the coming hours'' today in retaliation for what it said was Israel's repeated violation of a week-old ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

''Calm is on the edge of collapse due to the continued Zionist violations and the attacks against our Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza,'' Abu Ahmed, a Gaza-based spokesman for the group's armed wing, said in a statement.

''Nobody should blame (Islamic Jihad) for any reaction its brigades will take in the coming hours in response to the violations by the Zionist occupation.'' Islamic Jihad accused Israel of ''more than 70 violations'' of the ceasefire but did not specify what they were.

At least five Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli troops since the truce was struck on Nov. 26. All of those incidents have occurred in the West Bank, not in Gaza.

Under the ceasefire, Israel agreed to pull its troops out of Gaza if Palestinian militants stopped firing rockets. Since the agreement was struck, more than a dozen rockets have been fired at Israel, but Israeli troops have so far stayed out of Gaza.

There was no immediate response from the Israeli authorities to Islamic Jihad's threat. Islamic Jihad is one of three major militant groups operating in Gaza, alongside the armed wing of Hamas and the armed wing of the once-dominant movement, Fatah.

There had been discussions in recent days about extending the Gaza ceasefire to cover the West Bank, a move encouraged by U.S.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during a recent visit and seconded by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

However, Hamas, the Islamist group that leads the Palestinian government, said today it would take no further part in discussions among militant groups about extending the ceasefire beyond Gaza.

''In the time (since the ceasefire was struck) the Zionist enemy has made over 70 violations, has killed several citizens, arrested 130 people and demolished houses in the West Bank,'' said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.

''It will not be useful to talk about a comprehensive calm.'' Reuters PB DB2044

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