Palestinian guuners fired five rockets at southern Israel early Thursday, shortly after officials said Israeli threats had cowered the Hamas-led government into halting the attacks. According to the AP, the Israeli army said one person was slightly wounded in the southern town of Sderot and a building was damaged.
The Islamic Jihad military wing took responsibility for the attacks.
Meanwhile, Hamas released an official statement denying a report in the Israeli Haaretz newspaper indicating it was adhering to a cessation of Qassam fire. Hamas added that it fired two Qassam rockets early Wednesday morning.
Hamas denied it instructed its operatives Monday night to stop the rocket fire, during a meeting between Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and top Hamas military wing officials in Gaza.
However, the spokesman for the Hamas-led Palestinian cabinet on Thursday said the the movement is ready to restore a cease-fire with Israel, several days after calling off the truce to protest a deadly explosion on a Gaza beach, which killed seven Palestinian civilians.
"This is very clear for us," said government spokesman Ghazi Hamad, according to the AP. "We are ready to do it, but (only) if the Israeli side has a strong intention to respond positively to the call ... to stop their aggression."
