Hamas, which warned of a formal end to the ceasefire, said it launched
eight Kassam-class missiles toward the Israeli city of Sderot on Nov. 14.
The Kassam has a range of about 15 kilometers, and two of the missiles
struck and damaged buildings in Sderot.
"The military wing of Hamas will avenge every Israeli crime," Hamas
spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said.
The Hamas fire marked an escalation in fighting with Israel. Israeli
troops and aircraft have struck Hamas and Palestinian militias in the
eastern Gaza Strip.
"If there is the need, the Israel Defense Forces and security forces are
prepared for a powerful operation that will hurt the other side," Israeli
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said.
Hamas has been joined by the Iranian-sponsored Islamic Jihad and the
Popular Resistance Committees. On Nov. 14, PRC, which reported the death of
an operative in the northern Gaza Strip, said it would join missile attacks
against Israel.
In all, nearly 150 missiles and mortars have been fired by the Hamas
regime into Israel. No Israeli casualties were reported. A dozen
Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes since Nov. 4.
