Armed Palestinian groups on Tuesday continued firing home-made rockets into southern Israel, one day after the Israeli army withdrew ground troops from northern Gaza Strip.

On Tuesday night, Israeli army launched a new raid on east of the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, after the Israel military on Monday withdrew its ground troops from Gaza and completed a five-day incursion in the Palestinian enclave that killed more than 120 Palestinians and wounded hundreds of others.

Peace deal by end of 2008 doubted

During her visit to Egypt, the first stop of her regional tour which also took her to Israel and the Palestinians, Rice called on Israel and the Palestinians to resume peace talks, saying she will work toward resumption of the negotiations of the two sides as soon as possible.

Stressing the necessity of an active peace process after her talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit, Rice urged Palestinian militants to stop rocket fire against Israel, backing Israel's right to respond to the rocket attacks.

However, she added that Israel must avoid causing civilian casualties when carrying out actions in response to rocket fire.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (R) talks with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the Presidential Palace in Cairo March 4, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)