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Israel retaliates after Gaza rocket disrupts lull

JERUSALEM — Israeli jets struck three sites in Gaza yesterday after a rocket from the region was launched at Israel, the military said, disrupting a relative lull in the war-torn territory at the start of a major Muslim holiday.

Palestinian refugees calling for an end to the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip during a demonstration, after Eid al-Fitr prayers yesterday at Al-Baqaa Palestinian refugee camp, near Amman. PHOTO: REUTERS

Palestinian refugees calling for an end to the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip during a demonstration, after Eid al-Fitr prayers yesterday at Al-Baqaa Palestinian refugee camp, near Amman. PHOTO: REUTERS

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JERUSALEM — Israeli jets struck three sites in Gaza yesterday after a rocket from the region was launched at Israel, the military said, disrupting a relative lull in the war-torn territory at the start of a major Muslim holiday.

The air strikes followed an almost 12-hour pause in the fighting and came as international efforts intensified to end the three-week war between Israel and Hamas.

The United Nations Security Council yesterday called for an immediate ceasefire in the fighting, which has killed more than 1,030 Palestinians, 43 Israeli soldiers and three civilians on the Israeli side.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised the UN call for a truce, saying it addressed the needs of a “murderous terrorist group” in Gaza’s Islamist Hamas, while neglecting Israeli security.

Meanwhile, the leader of Hamas has demanded anew that Israel end its occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. Khaled Meshaal also said in a CBS interview broadcast yesterday that he believes the world has not taken an even-handed view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“Unfortunately, the world doesn’t blame the Israelis,” said Meshaal from Cairo.

Asked point-blank if he would recognise Israel’s right to exist, Meshaal replied: “No.”

“I can’t coexist with occupation. Without occupation, you can coexist,” he said.

Israel’s military said it struck two rocket launchers and a rocket manufacturing facility in central and northern Gaza, after a rocket hit southern Israel earlier in the day. The rocket caused no damage or injuries.

At least two more Palestinians were killed yesterday. A four-year-old boy died when tank shells hit his family’s house in Jabaliya, in the northern Gaza Strip, Gaza health officials said. Another person was killed by tank shelling in a separate incident, also in Jabaliya.

The Israeli military also said it dropped leaflets over Gaza City yesterday afternoon, warning Palestinian residents in the coastal strip that Israel “will not tolerate any attempt to harm Israeli civilians and the consequences will be severe”.

Earlier, the military said troops on the ground were pressing on with efforts to destroy the cross-border tunnels constructed by Hamas for attacks inside Israel.

The military also opened artillery fire on Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza in response to the rocket fired at Ashkelon, said the office of Israel’s military spokesman.

The military said eight rockets had been fired from Gaza at Israel since midnight on Sunday.

As Muslims began celebrating the Eid al-Fitr holiday that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, there was fear and mourning yesterday instead of holiday cheer in large parts of Gaza.

Palestinian families huddled in their homes, fearing more air strikes.

In New York, an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council called for “an immediate and unconditional humanitarian cease-fire”.

And while it was the council’s strongest statement yet on the Gaza war, it was not a resolution and therefore not binding.

Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour said the council should have adopted a strong and legally binding resolution a long time ago, demanding an immediate halt to Israel’s “aggression”, providing the Palestinian people with protection and lifting the siege in the Gaza Strip, so goods and people could move freely.

“You cannot keep 1.8 million Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip in this huge prison,” Mr Mansour told reporters.

Israel has said it started its Gaza operation on July 8 to stop the rocket fire from the coastal territory and intensified it on July 17 to neutralise Hamas cross-border tunnels built to carry out attacks on Israeli territory.

United States President Barack Obama called Mr Netanyahu on Sunday to push for an immediate end to the conflict and express his concern over the mounting Palestinian casualties.

The White House said Mr Obama had reiterated that Israel has a right to defend itself and condemned Hamas’ rocket attacks.

Mr Obama said a lasting peace would ultimately require a demilitarised Gaza and the dismantling of terror groups. AGENCIES

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