Israeli air strike kills two Hamas militants

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) – Israel killed two Hamas militants in its
first air strikes on the Gaza Strip since pulling troops out of
the territory two weeks ago and vowed a crushing response to
Palestinian missile salvoes.

The worst surge of violence since Israel’s pullout after 38
years of occupation was a blow to hopes the withdrawal could
spur peacemaking and may make it harder for Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon to beat back a rightist leadership challenge.

Israeli forces massed near the border with Gaza and Defense
Minister Shaul Mofaz said a ground offensive was being
considered after militants fired at least 35 rockets into the
Jewish state, hurting four civilians.

“The response will be crushing and unequivocal,” said
Mofaz.

The army said it targeted two vehicles in Gaza City
carrying munitions and Hamas militants. Relatives identified
the two dead as Hamas men. The Palestinian interior ministry
revised an earlier report of four dead.

Gaza militants said their missile strikes on Israel were
retaliation for a blast that killed 15 people at a Hamas rally
on Friday.

But Israel denied responsibility for that explosion and the
Palestinian Authority said it appeared to have been an accident
caused by Hamas members carrying explosives. Earlier on Friday,
Israeli troops killed three West Bank gunmen.

The surge of bloodshed left a bitter taste for Gazans still
celebrating the final Israeli troop withdrawal on September 12.

“We thought there would be no more death. I guess we were
too hopeful,” said Khaled Hamed, 30, outside the main morgue.

VENGEANCE CALLS

Vowing vengeance, the military wing of Hamas said it was
“time to strike with all our might.” The group has largely
followed a truce that President Mahmoud Abbas agreed with
Israel in February and which helped smooth the pullout from
Gaza.

The Palestinian interior ministry condemned “Israeli
aggression,” but Abbas also criticized militants for keeping
explosives in built-up areas.

In a Defense Ministry statement, Mofaz called for further
strikes against Hamas and Islamic Jihad weapon-making sites in
Gaza and the West Bank. Sharon was to convene his security
cabinet later on Saturday to discuss options.

The army sealed off the West Bank and Gaza on Saturday,
denying entry to Palestinians allowed to work in Israel.

Egypt called on both parties to stop the escalation.
Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit urged Palestinian factions
to keep the truce. Criticizing Israel, he described the bombing
of the strip as a violation of international law.

The violence could complicate matters for Sharon ahead of
this week’s vote by his Likud on holding party primaries early.

Rival Benjamin Netanyahu says Sharon’s aim of “disengaging”
from conflict with the Palestinians by pulling out of Gaza was
a mistake that would reward militants and encourage attacks.

If Likud votes for early primaries, it could prompt Sharon
to leave the party and form a new centrist alliance. The Likud
meeting starts on Sunday and a vote is set for Monday with
results expected late in the day.

Polls during the week showed the result of the vote as too
close to call, although Netanyahu had a small lead over Sharon.

The bloodshed is also a major challenge for Abbas, who has
shied away from disarming militant groups such as Hamas — as
Israel demands as a condition for talks on statehood — because
of fears it could lead to civil war.

(Additional reporting by Edmund Blair in Cairo)