News Analysis: Return of violence feared in Gaza after Israeli airstrike

GAZA (Xinhua) - Senior Palestinian officials warned on Saturday of a gradual return of violence between Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip.

Israel's fighter jets bombed a training facility in the town of Khan Younis overnight. The training facility belongs to Hamas armed wing al-Qassam Brigades. Medics and security officials said the airstrike caused no injuries.

The airstrike was the first since an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas on Aug. 26.

According to Israeli Radio, the airstrike was a response to an earlier rocket firing from Gaza into Israel. No one claimed responsibility for the rocket's firing.

The Israeli army said that the rocket attack on southern Israel was the second since the cease-fire was reached.

Earlier on Friday, Israeli soldiers stationed on the border between Israel and northeastern Gaza opened fire and wounded six Palestinian protesters, according to medics.

The growing violence in Gaza came one week after Hamas held a large military parade in Gaza city.

Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said in an emailed press statement that the Israeli airstrike on southern Gaza last night "is a serious escalation."

Following last night's Israeli airstrike, fear of a gradual return of violence in Gaza grew. The populations, mainly those who lost their homes and remained displaced, expressed fear that the growing violence may block reconstruction in Gaza.

Qais Abdul Kareem, senior official in the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said "the Israeli assault is a violation of the cease-fire agreement."

"Chasing fishermen and opening fire at them, also opening fire at Palestinians near the borderline area and carrying out airstrikes are all violations to the cease-fire agreement reached in Cairo," said Abdul Kareem, adding "the Egyptian-brokered indirect talks should be resumed to prevent more violence."

The Palestinians in Gaza complain that the agreement has yet to be implemented, mainly due to the Israeli blockade.

Local officials in Gaza said that the Israeli restrictions imposed on the coastal enclave remain the same and the two key crossing points witness no real changes.

On Oct. 12, international donors pledged $5.4 billion to change the tragic reality in Gaza. However, officials in Gaza said that only two percent of the pledged donations were sent so far to the coastal enclave since the donors conference was held in Cairo.

Last week, Hamas and its armed wing al-Qassam Brigades, said the delay of allowing construction materials into Gaza continues would certainly lead to the deterioration of the situation in the territory.

Tala Oukal, Gaza-based political analyst, told Xinhua that over the past four months, "Israel has been all the time violating the Egyptian-brokered cease-fire agreement," adding "such continuation of violating the agreement would certainly lead to a collapse of the security situation."

Adnan Abu Aamer, political science professor at al-Ummah university in Gaza, agreed with Oukal, and added "the cease-fire agreement is still fragile and it may collapse at any time as long as the difficult reality of living condition in Gaza cannot change for the better."