The deposed Hamas government, which rules the Gaza Strip, Thursday called on Palestinian militant groups to avoid attacks on borders' crossing and terminals between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Taher el-Nouno, spokesman of sacked Hamas prime minister Ismail Haneya, told reporters that Haneya's government asked militants not to fire mortar shells at crossing points during Ramadan to " keep the commercial movement and security."
The holy fasting month of Ramadan, during which observant Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, started on Thursday in most Islamic nations and areas.
Haneya's appeal came right after Sallah el-Dein Brigades, armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), announced a month- long rocket attacks against Israel that will last until the end of Ramadan.
In a press statement, the PRC said its rocket assaulting campaign, called "the Messages of Death," will include rocket attacks against Israeli cities and military bases alongside the Gaza Strip.
"The operation is a response to the Israeli crimes against our people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and to affirm the continuation of resistance," the statement said.
In the last few weeks, Gaza-based Palestinian militant groups, also including Hamas armed wing al-Qassam Brigades, had been launching daily mortar shelling attacks at crossing points, mainly Erez, Karni and Kerem Shalom.
On Wednesday, Hamas claimed responsibility for firing seven mortar shells at the crossing of Kerem Shalom on the border area connecting the Gaza Strip, Israel and Egypt. Early this week, al- Qassam Brigades said it had fired 27 mortars at Israel.
On Tuesday, a Palestinian homemade Qassam rocket slammed into an Israeli army training camp in southern Israel, injuring about 69 Israeli conscripts.
Saraya al-Quds, armed wing of the Islamic Jihad (Holy War), and Sallah el-Dein Brigades said in a joint statement that they fired the rocket from northern Gaza into the Israeli camp.
It was the most serious incident in terms of casualty number resulting from a single Qassam rocket attack.
Following the attack, some Israeli officials called for tough retaliation against militant groups' rocket attacks launched from the Gaza enclave.
El-Nouno expressed his government's concerns towards the Israeli threat to invade the Gaza Strip.
"We are seriously concerned over the Israeli threats, which include cutting off electricity and water, as well as large-scale incursions and renewing assassinations," said el-Nouno.
He also warned of sideline infighting in the Gaza Strip that might erupt when Israel carries out a large-scale military operation against Gaza.
"We have to be united and keep our national interests on the top of our priorities," said el-Nouno.
Hamas has been ruling the Gaza Strip since mid-June after it routed rival Fatah movement and seized control of the Gaza Strip, leaving over 100 people dead.
In response, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, also Fatah's leader, dismissed the Hamas-led government under Haneya and appointed a new one in the West Bank city Ramallah, led by U.S.- backed prime minister Salam Fayyad.
As a result, the geographically-divided Palestinian territories has been politically split into two parts with two government -- with Hamas running Gaza and Fatah holding the West Bank.
Source: Xinhua
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