The United States condemned a Wednesday rocket attack from Gaza on southern Israel, but maintained that it wasn’t ready to hold the new Palestinian unity government responsible for the attack, reports Israeli news site Ynet.
“We condemn all rocket fire from Gaza. It is unprovoked aggression against civilian targets and is totally unacceptable,” US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
Palestinian militants fired a rocket into southern Israel on Wednesday, the first such attack since President Mahmoud Abbas formed a new unity government last week, supported by Hamas, and officially took charge of Gaza. Israel has warned it would hold Abbas’s unity government responsible for any attacks out of Gaza.
The Israel Air Force retaliated for the rocket attack, striking a target in northern Gaza late Wednesday, reportedly killing one person and wounding three others. The IDF identified the target as a 33-year-old militant linked to “global jihad,” a term it uses to describe groups that are affiliated or inspired by al-Qaida. It said the man had participated in “many” rocket attacks while also working as a Hamas policeman, and described the airstrike as pre-emptive.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he wanted to “remind” the international community that Abbas had pledged the new government would uphold previous agreements with Israel. “This means that he is responsible for dismantling Hamas and other terror groups” in Gaza, he said.
Earlier, Abbas’s office condemned the rocket fire. Israel dismissed the condemnation as “empty rhetoric”, while the US welcomed it.
Under last week’s deal, Abbas’ cabinet is to administer both Gaza and parts of the West Bank. Hamas has no formal role in the technocrat government, but it backs the unity government and remains the de facto power in Gaza with thousands of armed fighters.
Militants in Gaza–primarily members of Hamas–have fired many thousands of rockets at Israel over the years. The West considers Hamas a terror group due to the rocket attacks against civilian targets and scores of deadly attacks on Israel. Abbas has claimed that the new Hamas-backed cabinet will follow his more pragmatic approach, though Hamas has insisted it is still committed to Israel’s destruction through jihad.
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