JERUSALEM (AP) — Militants in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket into Israel on Wednesday for the first time since rival Palestinian factions formed a national unity government, the Israeli military said.
Israel has warned it would hold the Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas responsible for any attacks out of Gaza since he formed a new government last week with the backing of the Islamic militant group Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in 2007.
There are no Hamas members in the government, but the armed group backs the new Cabinet. Israel and the West consider Hamas, which is sworn to Israel’s destruction and has killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombings on buses and in cafes along with other deadly attacks, a terrorist group.
Nobody was wounded by the rocket, which exploded on a road in the south of the country, Israeli police said.
Deputy defense minister Danny Danon called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take action following Wednesday’s attack. “This rocket fire is the direct result of the Hamas-supported government,” Danon said. He said Israel should halt the transfer of taxes it collects on behalf of the Palestinians.
Thousands of rockets have been fired from Gaza over the years. The majority of them have been crude projectiles that disrupt daily life, damage property and spread panic. But they have also caused casualties. Israel has held Hamas responsible, sometimes retaliating with airstrikes.
