A Palestinian girl (left) holds a picture of her father who is jailed in Israel during a weekly protest calling for the release of Palestinian prisoners in Gaza City, 30 June 2008

Hamas says it is suspending indirect talks with Israel on exchangingprisoners because of what it calls Israeli violations of a truce inGaza.

Hamas officials Friday accused Israel of violating theterms of the Egyptian-brokered truce by closing its border crossingsinto the Gaza Strip. The group said in return, it would haltnegotiations on the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Thefinal stage of the truce deal calls for Gaza militants to free Shalitin return for Israel releasing several hundred Palestinian militants.

Israelhas closed border crossings used to bring supplies into Gaza inresponse to continuing rocket fire from militants in theHamas-controlled territory. The crossings remained closed today afteranother rocket attack on southern Israel Thursday, despite the two-weekold truce.

In another development, Israeli officials say DefenseMinister Ehud Barak ordered the army to prepare to demolish the home ofa Palestinian who killed three people in a Jerusalem bulldozer attackWednesday.  

Defense ministry officials say Barak alsoinstructed the army Friday to prepare to raze the home of another eastJerusalem man who carried out a shooting attack on a religious seminaryin Jerusalem in March. Eight people died in that attack.

Israel'sattorney general ruled Thursday that authorities can legally demolishthe homes of Palestinians in Jerusalem who carry out terroristattacks. But he said such action could raise what he called"significant legal problems." He did not elaborate.

Israelstopped destroying homes of Palestinian attackers in the occupied WestBank in 2005 after the Israeli military said the practice was not aneffective deterrent.