JERUSALEM, August 17, 2008 (AFP) - Palestinian militants launched a makeshift rocket from the Gaza Strip at Israel on Sunday in violation of a near two-month-old truce, without wounding anyone, Israeli police said.

At least 43 rockets and mortar rounds have been launched from Gaza since an Egyptian-brokered truce between Israel and several Palestinian armed groups came into force June 19, according to the Israeli army.

The overall level of violence in and around the impoverished territory has sharply declined, however, and the Islamist Hamas movement that has ruled Gaza since June 2007 says it is doing everything possible to halt the rocket fire.

Both sides have accused the other of violating the truce, with Hamas demanding Israel lift its embargo of Gaza and Israel accusing Hamas of using the calm to rearm with weapons smuggled under the Egypt-Gaza border.