GAZA/ISRAEL: Israel launched more air strikes against Hamas targets in Gaza

Israeli air force released on Saturday (May 19) a video of air strikes in Gaza. The footage showed airstrikes on a moving car and on a building in Gaza. Israel's bombing campaign against Hamas has killed at least 17 Palestinians since Wednesday (May 16). Local residents said the dead included at least five civilians. Israel said the wave of air strikes and artillery deployment around Gaza meant to stop militants from firing rockets at Israeli towns. Israeli army said more than 120 rockets have been fired towards Israel since Tuesday. The air strikes against Hamas targets have plunged the Palestinians deeper into turmoil after nine days of fierce internal fighting verging on civil war between ruling Hamas Islamists and President Mahmoud Abbas's secular Fatah faction. Hamas and Fatah negotiators agreed in Egyptian-brokered talks to a new ceasefire starting at 1200 GMT on Saturday, though it was unclear whether the deal would hold. But minutes after the ceasefire talks concluded, the convoy of one of the Fatah negotiators came under attack from unidentified Palestinian gunmen. Mohammad al-Masri, a top Abbas intelligence official, was unharmed. Fatah said one of its security officers was abducted by Hamas gunmen at a checkpoint on Saturday. Fighting continued overnight around the pro-Hamas Islamic University in Gaza City. Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz said Israel had many options to try to prevent Gaza militants from firing rockets into Israel, playing down the immediate prospect of a massive ground invasion.

ITN Source | May 20, 2007

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