Palestinian activists fired two rockets into southern Israel on Thursday as Israel kept Gaza Strip border crossings closed in response. The rocket attack, the second since a calm took effect, led to a call for retaliation by Israel's Foreign Minister while Palestinians charged that the continued closure of crossings violated terms of the deal.
Despite the breach, Israel sent an envoy to Egypt in a bid to promote a prisoner swap with Hamas.
The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, claimed responsibility for firing the rockets Thursday. One exploded harmlessly in a field, the Israeli military said, according to the AP. A statement from the group demanded that Israel halt its military operations in the West Bank.
On her part, Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said it should not matter who was behind the rocket attack. "I am not interested in who fired and who didn't fire at Israel," she told reporters. "It is a violation, and Israel needs to respond immediately, militarily, for every violation."
At a high-level security meeting late Thursday, Israel decided to keep the crossings closed Friday because of the latest rocket attack, defense officials said. A limited amount of fuel will be transferred, they said.
