Middle East truce endangered by violence

The flare-up in violence in the Gaza Strip could delay Israel’s planned withdrawal from the crowded coastal area if Israel is forced to launch a new military campaign against Palestinian militants, a senior Israeli official warned today.

Palestinians fired three more mortars and a rocket at Jewish settlements in Gaza and at nearby Israeli communities today, the army said, a day after militants launched a massive mortar barrage and Israeli forces killed two Hamas militants, endangering a four-month truce.