Barak wants to consider return rocket fire

JERUSALEM, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak says he wants the Cabinet to discuss returning rocket fire from Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Barak made the request at Sunday's Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, which, if implemented, would constitute a violation of a 5-month-old cease-fire with Palestinian Arab militants in Gaza, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.

Palestinians launched 43 rockets at Israel last week in response to an Israeli raid inside Gaza that produced the deaths of at least six Hamas gunmen and one Islamic Jihad militant. Barak, however, characterized the raid as "defensive" and said it didn't "give the Palestinian organizations justification for breaching the calm" under the terms of the cease-fire.

Barak said allowing return rocket fire should be part of a special Cabinet session set for Wednesday intended for debating reinforcing homes near Gaza against rocket fire, Haaretz reported.