Gaza truce strained by rocket fire

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired a makeshift rocket into southern Israel on Thursday, further straining a week-old truce as Israel kept border crossings into the Hamas-ruled territory closed.

Both sides traded blame for violations of the ceasefire Egypt had brokered in the hope of furthering U.S.-backed peace talks that have shown little sign of progress.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert came under pressure from a strong rival, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, to act. Livni, Israel's chief negotiator with the Palestinians, said she urged him to order "an immediate military response to every violation".

No casualties were reported in the rocket attack, which was claimed by al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a militant group belonging to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction.

The latest strike followed salvoes on Tuesday launched by Islamic Jihad in response to an Israeli army raid that killed one of the group's commanders in the occupied West Bank. Israel said the raid was aimed at foiling attacks on its citizens.

The rockets prompted Israel to keep Gaza crossings closed for a second consecutive day. Under the ceasefire, the flow of goods into the territory is meant to rise gradually.

The truce, which took effect last Thursday and is known locally as the "calm", does not cover the West Bank, but several militant groups had threatened to retaliate for any Israeli operations there.

"The rocket attack was in response to Israeli violations. Any calm deal must end Israeli attacks on our people in the West Bank too," said Abu Qusai, spokesman for al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.