Israel refuses to open the borders, Palestinian resistance shells Sderot

Thursday June 26, 2008 15:33 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

As Israel continues to close the borders leading in or out of Gaza a Palestinian resistance group has fired several Qassam home made shells at the Israeli town of Sderot near Gaza on Thursday afternoon.

Palestinian patients stranded in Gaza File - 2007

Israeli sources said that the shells landed in open areas causing no damage or injuries. Al Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Fatah party, headed by the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas clamed responsiblity for the attack and demanded that Israel should include the West Bank in the truce deal reached last week. Last week The Egyptian-mediated truce between Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since June 2007, and Israel took effect. The ceasefire deal stipulates that Hamas will cease firing homemade shells into Israeli territory in exchange for Israel lifting the 12 month-blockade and ceasing all military attacks against the Gaza Strip. On Tuesday the Israeli army killed two Palestinians in Nablus one of whom is a member of the Islamic Jihad, in addition on Wednesday Israeli troops shot and injured a Palestinian farmer near the northern Gaza-Israeli borders. The Islamic Jihad fired two home made shells on Wednesday at Israeli areas near the Gaza Strip in response. Israel further announced that it will not open the crossings into the coastal region because of Wednesday's attack. But the Islamic Jihad announced on Thursday morning that Israel never opened the borders after the truce took effect. In related news medical sources in Gaza City reported that a Palestinian man died on Thursday because he was prevented by the Israeli army to leave the Gaza Strip to get medical care. Adnan Aloush, 55, had cancer he is the 197th patient who has died since June 2007 in Gaza because the Israeli army refused to allow them access to medical care outside the coastal region.

gaza strip | truce | news report ghassanb at imemc dot org