Israel – Hamas Cease-fire Again Broken As Rocket Lands Inside Israel

A Palestinian Qassam rocket landed near the Israeli town Sderot on Thursday morning, once again breaching the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas that was agreed to last June. There were no injuries and no damage caused by the blast. As has been the pattern following recent incidents, Israel’s defense minister immediately closed the crossing points through which goods and people enter and leave the Gaza Strip for a day. Because neither side wants to see the cease-fire end, further punitive action is considered unlikely. Hamas officials have recently spoken of extending the time-out, while on the Israeli side national elections are scheduled to be held in February and an escalation in violence is considered to be a political liability to the incumbent government.