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Israeli soldiers gather beside a mobile artillery piece after it fired towards a target in Gaza, responding to Palestinian rocket fire into Israel. (AP)
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| By Israel Insider staff and partners December 29, 2005 |
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Israeli artillery pounded northern Gaza at the beginning of a new, aggressive Israeli policy to stop Palestinian terrorists from using the area to fire rockets at Israel by threatening to shoot anyone who approaches the border.
The first barrage, after sundown Wednesday, marked the beginning of "Blue Skies," promising to be the biggest military operation since Israel pulled out of Gaza in the summer. The centerpiece is a "no-go zone" encompassing the settlements Israel evacuated and destroyed in northern Gaza. Analysts doubted, however, that Israel would use ground troops.
Israeli fighter jets also pounded overnight the access routes used by militants to reach the launching areas, the army said. Early Thursday, Israeli tanks renewed the firing of artillery, the army said.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas appeared caught in the middle, denouncing the rocket fire but also condemning the Israeli response. Unchecked chaos in Gaza, with Abbas' inability to control the terrorists, has undermined his campaign to bring order to the territory. That could weaken Abbas' appeal in Palestinian parliamentary elections next month, where the Islamic terrorist Hamas is mounting a stiff challenge.
Several hours before beginning the bombardment, the Israelis dropped leaflets in Gaza warning residents that presence in the area "puts your life in danger."
Two Palestinians were wounded in the first hours of the operation, Palestinian doctors said.
There are no Palestinian villages in the zone, which is mostly farmland. The Palestinian Interior Ministry said the no-go zone is about 6 kilometers (3 1/2 miles) long and between 2 and 2.7 kilometers (1 and 1 1/2 miles) deep, or about 16 square kilometers (6 square miles).
Palestinian terrorists have been taking advantage of the absence of the settlements to approach the border and fire their homemade rockets, bringing more of Israel into range - including the outskirts of the city of Ashkelon.
Over the last 10 days, two rockets have exploded in an industrial area south of the city, where there are sensitive installations like a power plant and a fuel depot. Israel vowed to stop the attacks.
Defiant militants fired two rockets at Israel just before the barrage began a few minutes after 6 p.m. (1600 GMT). No one was hurt.
"We are definitely stepping up the level in our response," said army spokeswoman Maj. Avital Leibowich. "We can't allow the situation to carry on like this. We can't endanger the lives of our people." She said more than 200 rockets have been fired since the pullout.
Since the summer pullout, Israel has often fired shells at Gaza in response to rocket attacks, but not as part of a coordinated operation.
Israel has said it needed to take action because Abbas' security forces are unwilling or unable to stop the rocket attacks.
On Wednesday Abbas' ruling Fatah Party presented a new list of candidates for the Jan. 25 election, ending a rift between veteran Fatah figures and younger leaders, presenting a united front against Hamas.
But Fatah-affiliated gunmen in Gaza staged violent protests to demand their own spots on the list of candidates, briefly seizing election offices and exchanging gunfire with police.
In another sign of disorder, three people were kidnapped at the Rafah crossing from Egypt into Gaza on Wednesday. Palestinian security spokesman Adnan Barbach said the three were British citizens. It was not known who took them.
Palestinian security was negotiating Thursday with the kidnappers, a security official said on condition of anonymity since he was not authorized to discuss such matters with the press. He would not give further details, like when the captives could be released.
Such abductions are becoming relatively common in Gaza. The kidnappers usually demand jobs or freedom for imprisoned relatives.
A Palestinian security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the hunt was in progress, said a security vehicle chased the kidnappers and their victims, but the car escaped.
The AP contributed to this report.
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