Israeli police and security forces were on high alert amid worries that Palestinian militants might target Israel as the first anniversary of the death of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat approaches, local newspaper Ha'aretz reported on Monday.

Israeli security officials were cited as saying that they expected a rise in Palestinian militant attacks around Nov. 11, the first anniversary of Arafat's death.

Security forces have received general warnings indicating Palestinian militants intend to carry out attacks on Israeli targets to mark Arafat's death, but there is no concrete information, according to the report.

Long-time Palestinian leader Arafat passed away in a French hospital on Nov. 11 last year. The causes for his death has remained unclear. But some Palestinians suspect that Israel might poison him.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) resumed launching rockets from Gaza into southern Israel on Sunday evening, following a shoot-out with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank town of Qabatiyah.

Three Jihad members were killed in the clash, one of them believed to have ordered the suicide bombing in the northern Israeli city of Hadera, which killed five Israelis.

No casualties were caused in Sunday's rocket attacks.

The violence was the latest in a series of incidents that strained relations between the Palestinians and Israel, posing a grave danger to an eight-month-old de facto truce deal.

Source: Xinhua