TEL AVIV [MENL] -- Israel plans to delay its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in case of heavy Palestinian fire.

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip would be suspended should troops allocated for the mission come under Palestinian attack. Mofaz told a forum that the army would instead direct its resources to "fight that fire."

It was the first time in months that Mofaz raised the prospect of a delay in the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank, scheduled for Aug. 15. Mofaz's warning came as the military was preparing to confront massive Palestinian mortar and rocket fire during the withdrawal.

On Tuesday, Hamas gunners fired four Kassam-class short-range missiles into Israel. One of the missiles slammed into an apartment in the Israeli city of Sderot. Nobody was hurt, and the military did not respond. Hamas claimed responsibility and said it fired five missiles.