The Islamic Jihad on Wednesday evening claimed responsibility for the first Qassam rocket launch at Israel in 36 hours.

The rocket landed next to a sensitive strategic facility south of Ashkelon, not causing any damage or casualties. Shortly before the attack Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Hamas has decided to halt Qassam fire on Israel.

Predawn Wednesday several rocket launches appeared on Israel Defense Forces radars but no hits were located, possibly indicating the rockets landed within the Gaza Strip.

Due to the temporary lull in Qassam fire the IDF has refrained from shelling the Gaza Strip with heavy artil...

The Islamic Jihad on Wednesday evening claimed responsibility for the first Qassam rocket launch at Israel in 36 hours.

The rocket landed next to a sensitive strategic facility south of Ashkelon, not causing any damage or casualties. Shortly before the attack Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Hamas has decided to halt Qassam fire on Israel.

Predawn Wednesday several rocket launches appeared on Israel Defense Forces radars but no hits were located, possibly indicating the rockets landed within the Gaza Strip.

Due to the temporary lull in Qassam fire the IDF has refrained from shelling the Gaza Strip with heavy artillery Wednesday and there were no attempts to attack militants from the air.

Three wounded as Islamic Jihad fires Qassams rockets at Sderot
By Avi Issacharoff, Amos Harel and Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Correspondents

Islamic Jihad fired a salvo of Qassam rockets into the western Negev city of Sderot on Thursday morning, wounding three people. The strike came shortly after the ruling Hamas party denied a Haaretz report that it had ordered an end to Qasssam strikes, fearing its leadership would be targeted by Israel.

Two of the rockets slammed into an open area near the city, a third hit near the city's entrance and the fourth crashed into the Sderot industrial area da...

Three wounded as Islamic Jihad fires Qassams rockets at Sderot
By Avi Issacharoff, Amos Harel and Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Correspondents

Islamic Jihad fired a salvo of Qassam rockets into the western Negev city of Sderot on Thursday morning, wounding three people. The strike came shortly after the ruling Hamas party denied a Haaretz report that it had ordered an end to Qasssam strikes, fearing its leadership would be targeted by Israel.

Two of the rockets slammed into an open area near the city, a third hit near the city's entrance and the fourth crashed into the Sderot industrial area damaging a factory. Another three rockets crashed into Israel on Thursday.

One person sustained minor facial wounds from shrapnel when the factory roof collapsed as a result of the rocket's impact. Two other people were treated for shock.

But speaking to Israel Radio on Thursday afternoon, a spokesman for the Hamas government said it does want a cease-fire with Israel, and is willing to speak to Palestinian militant factions in Gaza to persuade them to end the rocket fire.

"We are interested in a cease-fire everywhere. We want to end all operations if the Israeli side is interested in doing so," Ghazi Hamad told the radio.

Earlier in the day, Hamas released an official statement denying the Haaretz report indicating it was adhering to a cessation of Qassam fire. The organization added that it fired two Qassam rockets early Wednesday morning.

The Israel Defense Forces said, however, it had information contradicting Hamas' claims of Qassam rocket fire on Wednesday.

The Hamas statement denied the group had on Monday night instructed its operatives to stop the rocket fire, during a meeting between Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and senior officials in the Hamas military wing in Gaza.