Israeli warplanes pounded the Gaza Strip yesterday after the first rocket fired from the Palestinian territory in weeks hit an Israeli city, in a blow to efforts to avert a new war.
Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas disavowed the rocket-fire, saying they rejected “all irresponsible attempts” to undermine Egyptian efforts to broker a new long-term truce.
But Israel, which holds Hamas responsible for all rocket-fire from the territory regardless of who launches it, struck 20 targets in Gaza, killing one Palestinian, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Israel also closed both its border crossings with Gaza in reprisal, further isolating the blockaded enclave where deteriorating living conditions have stoked violent protests along the border.