An Islamic Jihad leader who spoke on condition of anonymity to an Internet website affiliated with Islamic Jihad that "rocket fire is one of the means of resistance," and his group will use it when and as it sees fit, depending on conditions on the ground. He asserted that his movement would retaliate against any Israeli military attack on Gaza.

Earlier, Daud Shibab, spokesman of the group, told the movement's radio station in Gaza city that Islamic Jihad had stopped rocket fire in recent days due to the suffering of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and the need to ease the Israeli blockade. He went on to say that his group does not intend to reverse this decision, but clarified that " if Israel once again attacks Gaza, no one will be able to prevent the resistance operatives from responding to the attacks."  

However, the London-based Arabic newspaper, Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported Monday that four Palestinian resistance groups, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) have reached an agreement to strop firing rockets into Israel. The newspaper added that the four factions met at the weekend in Gaza in a meeting called by Hams movement which controls the territory following the recent escalation of violence on the Gaza-Israel border.

On Sunday night Gaza fighters fired a homemade rocket into Israel, which hit an open area in the northwestern Negev area. There were no casualties and no damage was done.

Meanwhile, Fatah movement said it appreciated Hamas' decision to deter factions from launching homemade projectiles from Gaza toward Israel, a spokesman said on Saturday.

Ahmad Assaf said comments made by Hamas leader Ayman Taha on the BBC Sunday were a "positive development," adding that "Hamas has realized President Mahmoud Abbas' call upon the movement, made more than once, to avoid disastrous Israeli reactions toward rocket attacks."

"This came late, as Hamas previously chose to neglect such calls out of commitment to partial interests and external agendas," Assaf added.

On Friday, Ayman Taha, a senior Hamas leader told the BBC that Hamas is " working to curb Gaza rocket attacks," while deposed Hamas Prime Minister, Ismail Haniya also called on the international community to intervene to avoid an escalation in violence.