Ceasefire in Gaza under threat

In an incident on 27 January 2009, a roadside bomb planted near the Kissufim crossing along the Gaza Strip border exploded as an Israeli army vehicle drove by; one soldier was killed and three others were injured in the incident. In response, an Israeli helicopter flew over the area and military personnel fired at several targets on the Gaza side of the border. The incident is considered a significant violation of the unilateral ceasefires currently in place, and although they remain in force, Israeli officials have threatened to respond to the bombing. In a related development, Israeli officials reported that in recent days Hamas militants have fired at least one Qassam rocket into the sea in order to "test the range of rockets" that remain in the group’s arsenal. This raises concerns that Hamas may again launch rockets at any time into Israel, as it maintains the capability to do so despite three weeks of Israeli military actions against it. Should such an incident occur, Israel would likely respond with military strikes in Gaza.