Suicide bomber grandmother buried

HUNDREDS of Palestinians turned out yesterday to bury a 64-year-old grandmother who blew herself up near Israeli troops.

The woman killed herself when clashes between militants and Israeli troops killed a Palestinian boy and a militant filming the fighting.

Israel launched its campaign five months ago, hoping to curb militant rocket fire on Israeli communities bordering the Gaza Strip.

But the rocket fire has only intensified, and yesterday, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of the ruling Hamas group said militant factions were prepared to stop launching rockets if Israel would end all military operations in the West Bank and Gaza.

Israel said it was ‘‘ludicrous’’ to expect it to suspend all military operations in Palestinian territories in exchange for a partial ceasefire in Gaza alone.

However, a government spokeswoman said Israel would respond positively to a ceasefire in Gaza.

Past proposals have failed to curb fighting, and a Hamas spokesman quickly watered down the prime minister’s comments.

The woman who was buried, Fatma Omar An-Najar, blew herself up on Thursday as Israeli forces moved through the Jebaliya refugee camp north of Gaza.

Mourners shouting ‘‘God is great’’ draped her simple wooden coffin with a green Hamas flag before driving it to a nearby cemetery.

One of her 38 grandchildren, 13-year-old Leila, sobbed inconsolably.

‘‘I knew she wanted martyrdom. She was brave. But I’m still surprised that she did it,’’ she said.

Fatma An-Najar was by far the oldest of more than 100 Palestinian suicide bombers who have attacked Israelis in the past six years, killing hundreds.