admin
09-26-2005, 01:37 PM
Source:BBC News (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4277358.stm)
Israeli helicopters have fired missiles at targets in the northern Gaza Strip - the first such raid since its military withdrawal earlier this month.
The pre-dawn attack came after more than 21 rockets from the Gaza Strip hit Sderot in Israel, injuring five people.
Israel also sealed off both the West Bank and Gaza Strip in response to the missile attacks.
On Friday evening an explosion at a rally held by the Palestinian militants of Hamas left 15 dead.
The Palestinian authorities said the blast, which also injured 80 people, appeared to have been caused by the mishandling of explosives and that the militants were fully responsible.
Hamas itself blamed Israel, but the Israeli army said it had had nothing to do with the explosion.
Three strikes
Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz has vowed a firm response to any attacks coming from Gaza.
The Israeli military said it had fired one missile at a Hamas weapons warehouse in the Jabaliya refugee camp, where Friday's rally was held. Two more missiles were fired at targets in Gaza City.
Palestinians inspect overnight missile damage in the Gaza Strip
Palestinians inspect overnight missile damage in the Gaza Strip
The missiles appear to have caused little damage but Palestinians said at least one person was injured.
The casualties in Sderot were caused by shrapnel from the Qassam rockets, one of which landed near a sports hall in the town centre.
Sderot is located near the border to the north-east of the Gaza Strip.
Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for firing 10 home-made rockets into Israel on Friday, following the killing of three of its leaders by Israeli troops in Tulkarm.
Israel said the militants were killed after opening fire on troops who were trying to arrest them.
White smoke
The ruling Palestinian Fatah faction said it held Hamas responsible for the explosion at Friday's rally, when a truck carrying gunmen and home-made weapons blew up.
Map showing northern Gaza refugee camp of Jabaliya
Palestinian witnesses said a crowd, including many children, swarmed round the truck moments before the explosion. Video filmed during the rally showed a large cloud of white smoke rising into the sky, as hundreds of people ran from the scene of the blast.
The pictures also showed several badly injured bodies on the ground.
An unnamed witness was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying "I was thrown several metres, then I looked behind and I saw people dismembered and lying on the ground dead."
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction said it held Hamas "fully responsible for the victims of the military parade [that was held] among civilians".
Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, completed on 12 September, ended 38 years of military occupation of the territory.
QUOTE
Source:AP News (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050924/ap_on_re_as/israel_palestinians)
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -
Israel's defense minister ordered ground forces to the Gaza border on Saturday and vowed a "crushing" response to Hamas rocket fire on Israeli towns overnight, a security official said.
Shortly after Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz gave the order to deploy troops, witnesses reported three large explosions in Gaza City and said they saw an Israeli aircraft overhead at the time. Ambulances raced to the area.
Mofaz said Israel might resume targeted killings of Palestinian militants.
Mofaz decided on the troop deployment after consulting with his security chiefs, the official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to report on the contents of the meeting. Thousands of soldiers received call-up notices, and their leaves were canceled, the officials said.
Israel Radio said Mofaz also decided to continue targeting Hamas militants from the air.
In a first response Saturday, Israel fired missiles at several suspected Hamas weapons workshops in Gaza and sealed the
West Bank and Gaza.
The overnight rocket barrage was the first since Israel pulled out of Gaza nearly two weeks ago. Israel has said it will display "zero tolerance" for attacks on its towns after the withdrawal.
The forces would concentrate opposite northern Gaza, from which 21 rockets were fired at Israeli border towns overnight, the official said.
Israeli helicopters have fired missiles at targets in the northern Gaza Strip - the first such raid since its military withdrawal earlier this month.
The pre-dawn attack came after more than 21 rockets from the Gaza Strip hit Sderot in Israel, injuring five people.
Israel also sealed off both the West Bank and Gaza Strip in response to the missile attacks.
On Friday evening an explosion at a rally held by the Palestinian militants of Hamas left 15 dead.
The Palestinian authorities said the blast, which also injured 80 people, appeared to have been caused by the mishandling of explosives and that the militants were fully responsible.
Hamas itself blamed Israel, but the Israeli army said it had had nothing to do with the explosion.
Three strikes
Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz has vowed a firm response to any attacks coming from Gaza.
The Israeli military said it had fired one missile at a Hamas weapons warehouse in the Jabaliya refugee camp, where Friday's rally was held. Two more missiles were fired at targets in Gaza City.
Palestinians inspect overnight missile damage in the Gaza Strip
Palestinians inspect overnight missile damage in the Gaza Strip
The missiles appear to have caused little damage but Palestinians said at least one person was injured.
The casualties in Sderot were caused by shrapnel from the Qassam rockets, one of which landed near a sports hall in the town centre.
Sderot is located near the border to the north-east of the Gaza Strip.
Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for firing 10 home-made rockets into Israel on Friday, following the killing of three of its leaders by Israeli troops in Tulkarm.
Israel said the militants were killed after opening fire on troops who were trying to arrest them.
White smoke
The ruling Palestinian Fatah faction said it held Hamas responsible for the explosion at Friday's rally, when a truck carrying gunmen and home-made weapons blew up.
Map showing northern Gaza refugee camp of Jabaliya
Palestinian witnesses said a crowd, including many children, swarmed round the truck moments before the explosion. Video filmed during the rally showed a large cloud of white smoke rising into the sky, as hundreds of people ran from the scene of the blast.
The pictures also showed several badly injured bodies on the ground.
An unnamed witness was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying "I was thrown several metres, then I looked behind and I saw people dismembered and lying on the ground dead."
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction said it held Hamas "fully responsible for the victims of the military parade [that was held] among civilians".
Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, completed on 12 September, ended 38 years of military occupation of the territory.
QUOTE
Source:AP News (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050924/ap_on_re_as/israel_palestinians)
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -
Israel's defense minister ordered ground forces to the Gaza border on Saturday and vowed a "crushing" response to Hamas rocket fire on Israeli towns overnight, a security official said.
Shortly after Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz gave the order to deploy troops, witnesses reported three large explosions in Gaza City and said they saw an Israeli aircraft overhead at the time. Ambulances raced to the area.
Mofaz said Israel might resume targeted killings of Palestinian militants.
Mofaz decided on the troop deployment after consulting with his security chiefs, the official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to report on the contents of the meeting. Thousands of soldiers received call-up notices, and their leaves were canceled, the officials said.
Israel Radio said Mofaz also decided to continue targeting Hamas militants from the air.
In a first response Saturday, Israel fired missiles at several suspected Hamas weapons workshops in Gaza and sealed the
West Bank and Gaza.
The overnight rocket barrage was the first since Israel pulled out of Gaza nearly two weeks ago. Israel has said it will display "zero tolerance" for attacks on its towns after the withdrawal.
The forces would concentrate opposite northern Gaza, from which 21 rockets were fired at Israeli border towns overnight, the official said.