Israel warns Hamas of possible retaliation

JERUSALEM - Israel's prime minister issued a stern warning Sunday to Gaza's Hamas rulers after a weekend of rocket attacks from the Palestinian territory on Israeli communities.

Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet that Israel holds the Islamic militant group responsible for the rare flare-up in violence and would retaliate for any attack against its people.

The attacks, including a rocket fired Friday at an Israeli city six miles from Gaza, caused damage but no injuries. No Palestinian group took responsibility.

Israel responded with a series of airstrikes on militant targets in Gaza. Early Monday, Palestinians said a huge explosion has leveled the Gaza home of a senior Hamas commander, causing multiple casualties. Palestinians said the blast was caused by an Israeli airstrike, but Israel denies the accusation.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum accused Netanyahu of trying to "invent pretexts for new attacks."

The violence came shortly after the Arab League authorized Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to enter into direct peace talks with Israel.

Meanwhile Sunday, Israel approved new residency criteria that could result in the deportations of hundreds of children of migrant workers. The decision by Israel's cabinet represented a small step to clear up the status of thousands of foreign workers in Israel.

Under the criteria, children of migrants whose parents entered Israel legally may remain if they are enrolled in school, speak Hebrew and have been here longer than five years.