Hamas militant killed; Sharon gives army free hand

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) – An Israeli army sniper killed a
Palestinian militant in the Gaza Strip on Sunday after Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon gave a free hand to security forces to
stop cross-border rocket salvoes.

Troops massed in preparation for a possible major offensive
into Gaza, but Israeli political sources said that looked
unlikely ahead of a visit by Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice to try to salvage a crumbling five-month-old ceasefire.

The worst surge in bloodshed since the truce was agreed has
threatened to hamper Israel’s withdrawal from settlements in
occupied Gaza starting next month and raised doubts over
peacemaking prospects.

Sharon said he had instructed the army “to act without
limitation to stop the strikes on Israeli communities” after
rocket and mortar salvoes continued from Gaza despite an appeal
for calm by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

In the southern Gaza Strip, a commander of the Hamas group
behind much rocket fire was killed with a single bullet fired
from a nearby settlement. His father said he had been going to
water the garden. The army confirmed it had killed him as part
of a revived assassination policy.

“Hamas will not stand handcuffed against the new crime,”
said spokesman Mushir Al-Masri.

Before Sharon’s cabinet met, Israel’s deputy defense
minister said a major offensive could be hours away. Troops,
tanks and armored vehicles have massed outside in a show of
force for days.

But Israeli political sources said ministers would likely
hold off any major operation after security chiefs noted
efforts by Abbas to restore order. Egyptian officials were
expected to arrive in Gaza to try to help shore up the truce.

RICE MISSION

“There are signs that the situation could be defused,” said
one Israeli political source, but added that no final decision
had been taken. Others said it was unlikely before Rice’s
visit, which is expected at the end of the week.

Washington wants to preserve the ceasefire and supports
Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, seeing it as a possible
springboard to renewed talks on its “road map” peace plan.

Israel has not launched a large-scale offensive into the
Gaza Strip since the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat
last year raised new hopes for Middle East peacemaking.

Abbas wants to avert Israeli army incursions into Gaza but
has to tread carefully against Hamas, committed to destroying
Israel. Gunbattles on Friday between Hamas and Palestinian
police trying to stop rocket fire raised fears of civil war.

A Palestinian official voiced alarm at the threat of a Gaza
offensive. “If carried out, it would have only disastrous
results on the Gaza disengagement’s prospects and on the peace
process as a whole,” senior negotiator Saeb Erekat told
Reuters.

The death of the Hamas commander in Gaza brought to eight
the number of the group’s fighters killed in the upsurge.

Sharon, who ordered stepped up army action against
militants after a suicide bombing and rocket attack killed six
Israelis last week, has vowed not to quit Gaza under fire. At
least two more rockets fell in Israel on Sunday.

A similar scenario of attack, retaliation and revenge –
for which each side blames the other — put paid to many
previous peace efforts.

“Around and around we go. A trap that no one knows how to
escape from,” said Roni Shaked, commentator in Israel’s best
selling Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.