Israeli jets bombed targets in Gaza on Sunday, in the first surge in violence since the withdrawal of troops and settlers from the territory, as Israel’s prime minister prepared to face a leadership challenge.
Two Palestinians were killed and four injured in a direct hit on a car, witnesses said. The dead were said to be an Islamic Jihad commander, Mohammed Khalil, and his bodyguard. The Israeli army said Khalil was responsible for a string of attacks that killed 17 people dating back to May last year. Other Israeli targets included a school and buildings that Israel claimed were used to make rockets. Israeli jets broke the sound barrier over the Gaza Strip several times at the weekend, adding to the tension.
The outbreak came as the Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, was due to defend his leadership of the Likud party against a motion for a leadership election.
His challengers, Uzi Landau and Benjamin Netanyahu, criticised the withdrawal. The party will vote on the early election motion later on Monday.
On Sunday night Sharon walked out of a stormy Likud meeting without delivering his speech after what appeared to be intentional power cuts to his microphone prevented him from speaking.
The violence began on Friday after an explosion at a Hamas rally in the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza. A rocket displayed on a pickup truck fell off and exploded, detonating two others. Twenty people died and more than 100 were injured.
Hamas denied responsibility, blamed Israel and fired 39 Qassam rockets at the Israeli town of Sderot, injuring several people. On Saturday, Israeli aircraft fired rockets at two cars killing four people, claiming they were carrying Hamas weapons and fighters.
Sunday’s offensive prompted a senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar, to order an end to rocket attacks from the group. ”We call on our military groups to stop their operations against the enemy from the Gaza Strip,” he said.
Critics of Sharon argued that the barrage of rockets was proof that Israel had not enhanced its security by withdrawing from Gaza.
Tawfiq Abu Housa, a Palestinian interior ministry spokesperson, said there was no doubt that Hamas had been the cause of the Jabalia accident and it should take responsibility for it. ”I would much prefer to blame Israel but we are trying to deal with the truth. We will lose credibility if we do not take responsibility for our mistakes. The attacks on Israel were just a way of covering up their mistake which has caused big problems for many people.”
An explosives expert from the interior ministry displayed the shrapnel he had gathered from the scene of the explosion and said it was components of locally made rockets. All the evidence from film and witnesses contradicted the Hamas claims that Israel had fired a rocket to cause the explosion, he said.
Abu Yassin, who lives next to the bombed school, said it was hit at 1am. He said. ”I am against using missiles to attack civilians by either side. I blame both sides. The mood has been good here but why attack a school?”
Ghazi Hamed, the editor of the Hamas newspaper, al-Risala, said the cause of Friday’s explosion could only be established by a neutral investigation. Hamas, he said, felt obliged to respond against the most obvious culprit, Israel. ”This violence will not descend into conflict. Israel wants to show that if anyone does anything, even something small, they will punish the whole of Gaza. Hamas want the calm to continue and do not want to invite an Israeli occupation,” he said.
Israel’s Cabinet agreed to ask Parliament to approve compensation for Israeli Arab victims of Jewish nationalist attacks. – Guardian Unlimited Â