GAZA CITY: A Hamas fighter was killed in an Israeli air raid yesterday after Palestinian gunmen pounded Israel with rocket and mortar fire in an escalation of violence that is dimming hopes of a renewed cease-fire.
Yahi Al-Shaaher, 23, was killed and four other Palestinians wounded when an Israeli helicopter fired three missiles near the southern town of Rafah, medics and witnesses said.
An Israeli Army spokesman confirmed the raid, saying: “It targeted terrorists which fired rockets against Israel.”
Hamas vowed to step up attacks. “Israel should know that any decision to attack the Gaza Strip will open the gates of hell and we will make you regret your stupidity with tears of blood,” the group’s armed wing the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement.
“Israel’s stupidity will push us to expand operations and put in our line of fire thousands of new Zionists to defend the Palestinian people.”
Israel in turn warned that it would strike back, although analysts said it was likely to be wary of major action ahead of a February election.
“Our position is clear — we will answer quiet with quiet,” government spokesman Mark Regev said.
“But we will answer terrorist attacks with actions to protect our people.”
President Shimon Peres, on a visit to the town of Sderot, which has borne the brunt of rocket attacks, said Israel’s response must be “measured, responsible and efficient.” Israel’s security Cabinet met for five hours to discuss possible action, but Prime Minister Ehud Olmert imposed a blackout.
Palestinian fighters launched more than 70 projectiles yesterday, the largest barrage since an Egyptian-brokered truce went into effect in and around the besieged territory in June but expired five days ago.
The rocket barrage did not cause injuries but sowed panic among Israelis living near the Gaza border. Two of the rockets were longer-range Grads, which struck some 13 km north of Gaza, hitting a house and an amusement park in the city of Ashkelon, Israeli and Palestinian officials said. Grads are not fired often by Gaza fighters, who usually launch home-made projectiles dubbed Qassams, which have a shorter range and are less accurate. The military wing of Hamas said yesterday’s volley was “to avenge the killing” of three of its members by the Israeli Army late on Tuesday.
Since the expiry of the Egyptian-mediated truce on Friday, Israel has threatened to launch a major offensive on Gaza and Hamas warned it would retaliate by resuming suicide attacks inside the Jewish state.
Israel said it would keep the territory sealed yesterday after initially planning to reopen crossings to allow in aid shipments.
Aid groups have warned of a deteriorating humanitarian situation in the tiny overcrowded territory, which has been largely cut off from the outside world since Hamas ousted its rivals from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah faction in 2007.
They have repeatedly appealed to Israel to ease its blockade and allow shipments into Gaza, where most of the 1.5 million population depends on foreign aid.
