Airstrike marks cease-fire end

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – An Israeli airstrike killed two Hamas militants Sunday and Palestinian militants bombarded southern Israel with homemade rockets as a 16-month-old cease-fire unraveled and the two sides moved closer toward a broader conflict.

The violence complicated Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ efforts to persuade the Hamas-led government to endorse a document implicitly recognizing Israel. In a new blow to Abbas, a Hamas prisoner who helped draft the proposal withdrew his name from the document, deepening internal Palestinian divisions ahead of a July 26 referendum on the plan.

Hamas militants called off the truce late Friday after Israel assassinated a leading commander in the Hamas-run security forces and an explosion blamed on Israeli artillery fire killed eight Palestinian beachgoers.

Hamas has largely honored the February 2005 cease-fire, but the group’s latest statements raised concerns it could carry out a new wave of attacks.

But Hamas has less maneuvering room as a governing power than it did as a mere militia. Open confrontation with Israel would deepen its isolation at a time it is struggling to overcome a crippling international aid boycott.

“The only reason right now for the Hamas to try and send a more moderate message is the pressure from the international community,” Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said. “It is important that the international community will continue with this pressure.”

Palestinian militants fired more than 30 homemade rockets toward the southern Israeli town of Sderot, including one that hit a school and critically wounded a man, hospital officials said. A second man was lightly wounded from another rocket, officials said.

Hamas claimed responsibility for most of the rockets. “We have decided to make Sderot a ghost town,” said Abu Ubeideh, a spokesman for the group’s military wing.

An airstrike early Sunday killed two Hamas militants in northern Gaza, the group said. Another Hamas militant narrowly escaped harm later when he jumped out of his car shortly before it was destroyed by an Israeli missile, the group said.

The army said both airstrikes were aimed at militants carrying out rocket attacks.