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Hamas Declares Israel Truce Over
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by Sanjay Jha | December 18, 2008 at 11:50 pm
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The Islamic militant group Hamas has ended its six-month ceasefire with Israel. The group says there are no plans to renew the truce, which expired early Friday.
The cease-fire took effect in June and has eroded considerably in recent weeks. Hamas militants have regularly fired rockets and mortars into Israel, which has responded by tightening its blockade of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip and attacking suspected rocket launchers in the territory.
Hamas had earlier said it would not be renewing the truce when it expired at 0400 GMT on Friday.
The Egyptian-brokered deal began on 19 June but has been tested regularly by Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel and Israeli operations in Gaza.
Israel said it would like to renew the truce, but Hamas said Israel failed to ease its blockade of Gaza.
Israeli officials insist they never made a commitment to do so.
Both sides have accused the other or regularly infringing the truce.
"The ceasefire is over and there won't be a renewal because the Zionist enemy has not respected its conditions," Hamas said in a statement carried on its website.
As the expiry of the ceasefire neared, both sides said they would respond to any attack from the other party but would not take the offensive.
"We issue a warning to the Zionist enemy: all attacks against the Gaza Strip or any new crime will trigger a large-scale confrontation and we will retaliate very fiercely," said the Hamas statement.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (4)
at 23:52 on December 18th, 2008
so another series of bombing will start know?
at 00:03 on December 19th, 2008
Hum, That will bear no fruits nor solve any thing either.
at 07:33 on December 19th, 2008
how lovely, these peace-loving peoples apparently have no other recourse, as Israel still exists as does Jewry.
at 07:41 on December 19th, 2008
The bombing has been going on with rockets being showered on Israel daily by Hamas. It is Israel's foolish restraint that keeps Hamas from being history.