国际英语新闻:Israeli PM calls for strong actions against rocket attacks from Gaza

JERUSALEM, June 23 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday instructed security officials to act strongly to protect residents in southern Israel against rocket attacks from Gaza.

Netanyahu's remarks came as the latest round of violence in the region entered the sixth day. Some 20 rockets fired from Gaza hit the area on Saturday, wounding one Israeli.

Throughout the week, Gaza militants have fired over 150 rockets into Israel, wounding five people. At least 13 Palestinians were killed in Israeli retaliatory airstrikes or artillery shelling.

A truce between the two sides is expected to go into effect on Saturday night, according to local media. Israel Defense Forces officials said of the report that "quiet will be answered with quiet and fire will be answered with fire."

Meanwhile, Xinhua report from Gaza said that a senior Islamic Hamas movement's official had already announced that a new understanding on restoring calm in the Gaza Strip with Israel had been reached on Saturday night based on the principle of calm for calm.

Israeli top officials on Saturday held a series of emergency meetings concerning the flare-up, and decided to avoid further escalation, reported The Times of Israel.

An unnamed security source was quoted as saying that the Jewish state had no interest in a major military response against Gaza considering the sensitive situation in Egypt and Syria, as well as the upcoming visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Israel.