Group pledges rocket attack halt

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – A major Palestinian militant group promised Wednesday it would fire no more rockets at Israelis with the approach of Israel’s planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip this month, after a barrage accidentally killed a 5-year-old Palestinian boy.

The promise by Islamic Jihad came as international mediator James Wolfensohn called on Israel and the Palestinians to finish their coordination talks on issues like border crossings.

The American had a series of meetings Wednesday with officials on both sides, but no agreements were reached.

Officials said Israel’s Cabinet will approve the removal of three isolated Gaza settlements in a vote Sunday.

The pullout is to begin Aug. 17.

The Cabinet has approved it several times, but it must vote separately for each group of settlements to be removed.

Islamic Jihad’s statement was a sign that the pullout might proceed calmly. The group and its larger militant counterpart, Hamas, denied firing three rockets toward an Israeli demonstration across the Gaza fence late Tuesday.

One of the rockets hit a Gaza house and killed the child, wounding nine other people.