Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

    JERUSALEM, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Israel closed its border crossings with the Gaza Strip again on Tuesday following another rocket attack from the Hamas-ruled enclave Monday evening.

    Two Qassam rockets fired from the northern part of the coastal strip landed in an open area in western Negev in south Israel, causing no casualties or damage. No group has claimed responsibility for the fourth such attack since the Egypt-brokered truce went into effect on June 19.

    Following the latest violation, Defense Minister Ehud Barak instructed the army to keep the border crossings closed on Tuesday. A military spokesman said only pedestrian traffic would be permitted for the time being.

    Meanwhile, the Erez crossing at the border between the norther nGaza Strip and Israel will remain open, but for the passage of Palestinians in humanitarian cases only.

    A previous breach prompted Israel to close the Gaza border crossings on Wednesday for the first time since the implementation of the ceasefire, before the Jewish state reopened the crossings on Sunday.

    Separately, Palestinian diplomat Nabil Amr said on Monday that Egypt would open the Rafah border crossing for two days to allow hundreds of stranded on both sides to cross.