By KUNA,
Gaza : As the truce between Israel and the Palestinian factions ended in the besieged Gaza Strip, missiles were launched Friday by several groups from the Strip at the Jewish state.
First to launch an attack on Israel was Al-Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, which said in a statement that its rockets hit the southern Israeli city of Sderot after midnight.
Also joining in the assault was Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which launched mortar shells at an Israeli military base last night.
Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad, also reported the launch of three rockets at locations east of the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army confirmed these attacks, saying that four rockets were launched at several Jewish areas near the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, a number of Palestinian brigades announced that the truce, which was signed under Egyptian sponsorship, had officially ended at 6:00 a.m. Friday (local time).
Izziddin Al-Qassam Brigades, military wing of Hamas, released an official statement today which affirmed the end of the truce, while accusing Israel of ruining all chances for peace with its brutal policies amplified in the unjust siege on Gaza. It vowed to commence rocket attacks against Israel.
A similar statement was released by the National Resistance Brigades, the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Reacting to these attacks, the Israel military announced a red-alert and according to a military spokesman, the army would use force against those attacking Israel.
Radio Israel quoted a military source as saying that the army could dismantle the infrastructure of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, but warned that such act could spark an onslaught in both Israeli and Palestinian camps.
The Jerusalem Post, meanwhile, said on its website that Israel would not stand still and watch rocket attacks from Gaza ripping through its towns and cities, indicating that up to eleven rockets and six mortar rounds had been launched from the Strip since last Wednesday.