Gaza/Israel

      Palestinian militants fired three Qassam rockets into the western Negev on Wednesday, further unraveling an Israel-Hamas truce in the Gaza Strip. The rockets struck open areas near a Kibbutz in the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council. Gaza militants earlier in the day fired a volley of mortar shells into Israel, one of which damaged a power cable transferring electricity to the energy-strapped Gaza Strip, according to Army Radio. The militants launched a total of eight shells at the Eshkol regional council in the attack. Neither the Qassam rockets nor the mortar shells caused any casualties. On Tuesday, the Israel Air Force killed two Gazans in the Rafah area, in an air strike the army said targeted a Palestinian cell launching mortar shells at Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, which borders southern Gaza. Palestinians fired at least two Qassam rockets and five mortar shells at the western Negev Tuesday, causing no injuries. Palestinian sources said the fatalities were brothers, and that four others were hurt in the air strike, adding that the brothers and three of the other casualties were "youths." It appears they may have been sent by the organization that fired the rockets in order to dismantle the launcher. This latest incident is part of a largely low-profile struggle between Hamas and the Israel Defense Forces along the border fence surrounding the Gaza Strip. Since a November 4 IDF operation to locate a tunnel in Gaza, calm has yet to prevail. The small Palestinian groups are responsible for most of the rocket and mortar fire, although Hamas is also occasionally involved. (17,33)