A Hamas official said yesterday the Islamic militant group will not extend a six-month truce with Israel, as the two sides attacked each other.

Hamas says the ceasefire ends today, but Israel maintains that the unwritten truce accord does not have an expiration date. But violence has already resumed, though at a lower level than before the truce took effect.

Yesterday, Gaza militants fired 11 rockets and six mortar shells toward Israel. Israel's military launched at least two air strikes against rocket squads.

Speaking in Tel Aviv yesterday, Olmert denounced the Hamas regime in Gaza but did not comment directly on the escalating violence. Instead, he called for continued efforts toward a peace agreement with the Palestinians and Syria.

Hamas spokesman, Fawzi Barhoum, said "there is no chance of extending the calm," blaming Israel for the failure. It was not clear if this was Hamas' final word. The group, which rules Gaza, often issues contradictory statements.

Daily barrages

The truce started coming apart in November, when Israeli forces entered Gaza to destroy a tunnel the military said militants were trying to dig under the border. Gaza rocket squads responded by resuming daily barrages at Israel's south.

Though violence and casualties dropped significantly during the truce, neither side was satisfied. Hamas complained that Israel never fully opened its border crossings to let vital cargo in and exports out, while Israel charged that Hamas used the time to replenish its arsenal with arms smuggled in through dozens of tunnels under the Egyptian border.

Despite the renewed exchanges, there was a chance that the lull could be restored. Both sides appeared to be jockeying for position, trying to improve the terms of the truce. On the other hand, a single attack by either side, that takes significant casualties, could spark a larger conflict.

Speaking at a conference of the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, Olmert called for serious negotiations toward a peace treaty with the Palestinians, though that would require "painful concessions."