A Hamas spokesman said Monday that if Israel agreed to a temporary cease-fire in the West Bank, the Palestinian unity government would get all Palestinian factions to observe a general cease-fire, including halting rocket fire into Israel and ending ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has previously refused to extend such a policy of truce to the West Bank, arguing that only the Israel Defense Forces can restrict militant operations there. Hamas mostly observed a similar policy in the Gaza Strip for about six months, but smaller militant organizations did not.
The announcement came following a deadly round of attacks in the region on Monday. Strikes by the Israel Air Force continued in Gaza, killing one member of Hamas and four members of Islamic Jihad, who the Israeli Defense Forces said were preparing rocket launches against Israel.
More than a dozen Qassam rockets hit the southern Israeli town of Sderot on Monday, killing one woman and wounding two others in the first fatal attack by rocket fire in Israel since November. Qassam rocket fire continued Tuesday morning.
In response to the attacks, the Israeli Defense Forces and Shin Bet security service pledged to step up efforts to target leaders of Palestinian terror organizations. The Israel Air Force targeted two buildings in central Gaza early Tuesday, said to be used to house weapons and another used as a command center by militants.
Late Monday, Israel applied closures to border crossings in West Bank and Gaza, except in humanitarian cases. The closure is expected to be lifted on Wednesday depending on the security situation.