Israel kept its border crossings with the Gaza Strip closed on Wednesday, calling the move a response to a Palestinian rocket salvo that breached an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire. The crossings were to have opened at 8 a.m. to allow for imports to reach the impoverished territory. But Israeli military liaison official Peter Lerner said they would stay closed until further notice. “Any reopening will be in accordance with security considerations,” he told Reuters. A Palestinian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Israel later informed Egypt that the crossings would reopen to goods on Thursday. Lerner said he was not aware of any decision having been made. A European Union official said EU-funded fuel deliveries via Israel to Gaza's main power plant were suspended due to the Israeli move. The EU official said fuel had been delivered on Tuesday and based on current projections, the power station should be able to continue operations through the week even if deliveries did not resume immediately. Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for the Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers, accused Israel of bad faith in closing the crossings, where restrictions were tightened a year ago after the Islamist group took over the territory.“The closure by the Occupation (Israel) is a violation of the deal for calm in Gaza,” Abu Zuhri said. Meanwhile, Hamas leader Khalil Al-Haya said his party remains committed to a cease-fire with Israel, but will not act as Israel's “police force” in confronting militants who breach the truce. The comments by Hamas leader Khalil Al-Haya came shortly after Gaza militants fired three rockets into southern Israel Tuesdays. It was the first attack since the truce took effect last Thursday. Hamas said it was exerting pressure on Islamic Jihad, which claimed responsibility for the attack, to stop the rocket fire and demanded that Israel open the crossings. But Aal-Haya said its forces would not confront rocket launching squads on the ground. “Even if there is a violation by some factions, Hamas emphasizes its commitment to the calm and is working to implement the calm,” Al-Haya said. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert averted a split in his restive coalition on Wednesday by striking a deal with his biggest partner, the Labour party, that stopped it backing a bill to dissolve parliament. Labour's leader, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, agreed not to support the right-wing opposition's proposed legislation after Olmert pledged to hold an internal vote in his Kadima party that could remove him as its head by Sept. 25, both sides said.
