Hamas declares Israel truce over

The Islamist militant group Hamas says it has ended its six-month ceasefire with Israel in the Gaza Strip. As the ceasefire expired at 04:00 GMT, Hamas issued a statement blaming Israel which had not "respected" the truce. Hamas declares Israel truce over Israel's foreign ministry spokesman said the militants, who control Gaza, "had chosen violence over truth". The Egyptian-brokered deal began on 19 June but has been tested regularly by Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel and Israeli operations in Gaza. Hamas said Israel had failed to ease its blockade of Gaza. Israeli officials insist that there was no commitment to ease the siege, under which Israel has allowed little more than basic humanitarian aid into Gaza. The UN's relief agency says the situation has created a "profound human dignity crisis". Israel says the blockade - in place since Hamas took control of Gaza in June 2007 - is needed to isolate Hamas and stop it and other militants from firing rockets across the border at Israeli towns. Fierce retaliation In reality the truce collapsed long before it expired, amid mutual recriminations over who was to blame. There has been an upsurge in violence in recent weeks, with Israel trading air strikes and small-scale incursions into Gaza, with rocket fire from Palestinian militants aimed at southern Israel. "The ceasefire is over and there won't be a renewal because the Zionist enemy has not respected its conditions," Hamas said in a statement carried on its website. As the expiry of the ceasefire neared, both sides said they would respond to any attack from the other party but would not take the offensive. "All attacks against the Gaza Strip or any new crime will trigger a large-scale confrontation and we will retaliate very fiercely," said the Hamas statement. The Israeli foreign ministry spokesman, Yigal Palmor, said Hamas had chosen "violence over truth and rocket-shooting over ceasefire". He said it showed that Hamas "does not have the best interest of Palestinians in mind". "We have said publicly on many occasions that we think the continuation of the ceasefire is in the best interests both of Israelis and of Palestinians." The BBC says the end of the truce comes at a critical moment for the Israelis and the Palestinians. The Israelis are in the middle of an election campaign, and political turmoil on the Palestinian side is set to worsen amid intensified rivalry between Hamas and Fatah, which controls the West Bank. Our correspondent says the best pragmatists on both sides can hope for is that the end of truce will not necessarily lead to a major outbreak of fighting.

Hamas declares Israel truce over

Israel's foreign ministry spokesman said the militants, who control Gaza, "had chosen violence over truth".

The Egyptian-brokered deal began on 19 June but has been tested regularly by Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel and Israeli operations in Gaza.

Hamas said Israel had failed to ease its blockade of Gaza.

Israeli officials insist that there was no commitment to ease the siege, under which Israel has allowed little more than basic humanitarian aid into Gaza.

The UN's relief agency says the situation has created a "profound human dignity crisis".

Israel says the blockade - in place since Hamas took control of Gaza in June 2007 - is needed to isolate Hamas and stop it and other militants from firing rockets across the border at Israeli towns.

Fierce retaliation

In reality the truce collapsed long before it expired, amid mutual recriminations over who was to blame.

There has been an upsurge in violence in recent weeks, with Israel trading air strikes and small-scale incursions into Gaza, with rocket fire from Palestinian militants aimed at southern Israel.

"The ceasefire is over and there won't be a renewal because the Zionist enemy has not respected its conditions," Hamas said in a statement carried on its website.

As the expiry of the ceasefire neared, both sides said they would respond to any attack from the other party but would not take the offensive.

"All attacks against the Gaza Strip or any new crime will trigger a large-scale confrontation and we will retaliate very fiercely," said the Hamas statement.

The Israeli foreign ministry spokesman, Yigal Palmor, said Hamas had chosen "violence over truth and rocket-shooting over ceasefire".

He said it showed that Hamas "does not have the best interest of Palestinians in mind".

"We have said publicly on many occasions that we think the continuation of the ceasefire is in the best interests both of Israelis and of Palestinians."

The BBC says the end of the truce comes at a critical moment for the Israelis and the Palestinians.

The Israelis are in the middle of an election campaign, and political turmoil on the Palestinian side is set to worsen amid intensified rivalry between Hamas and Fatah, which controls the West Bank.

Our correspondent says the best pragmatists on both sides can hope for is that the end of truce will not necessarily lead to a major outbreak of fighting.