HAMAS is ALWAYS threatening bombings. B
Hamas threatens new Israel suicide bombings Mark Tran and agencies Thursday May 17, 2007 Guardian Unlimited http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,2081944,00.html?gusrc=rss <http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,2081944,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=ne tworkfront> &feed=networkfront Hamas today threatened to resume suicide bombings in Israel after an Israeli air strike on one of its compounds killed at least one person and injured more than 45. "This is an open war launched against Hamas. All options are open, including martyrdom operations," Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for the organisation's armed wing, said. Today's air strike followed warnings from Israel that it would respond to rocket attacks from Gaza. "I can confirm that we have carried out an air strike," an Israeli army spokesman said. The Israeli army has deployed a small number of tanks just inside the Palestinian territory, which has been wracked by fighting between Hamas and Fatah since the end of last week. Gaza residents and Hamas radio identified the target as a building used by the Islamist group's executive force, which is vying with the secular Fatah for security control of Gaza. Palestinian witnesses and medical officials said the strike killed at least one person and injured 45. The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, of Fatah, postponed a planned visit to Gaza following news of the raid. While fighting between the two Palestinian factions has continued, the Israeli government has been debating how to respond to intensifying rocket fire from Gaza and army warnings that Hamas was stockpiling weapons. "We have had enough. Israel will take all defensive measures to protect our citizens from these Hamas rockets," Miri Eisin, a spokeswoman for the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, said before the air strike. Seven Qassam rockets struck the town of Sderot earlier today, with one hitting a school and leaving two people slightly injured. The Israeli Ha'aretz newspaper reported that the Israeli government had decided to resume its assassinations policy targeting militants as well as other, unspecified actions. "It was decided to authorise the IDF [Israel defence forces] and the defence establishment to carry out a series of actions in order to target those launching Qassam rockets and their leadership, to disrupt their ability to launch rockets and to strike the terrorist infrastructure," an Israeli government statement said yesterday. Ha'aretz reported that Mr Olmert had changed his mind and decided to end the "policy of restraint" following intelligence assessments that Hamas was intending to escalate attacks on Israel. The paper claimed intelligence suggested that the recent attacks on Sderot were directly linked to the internecine fighting between Hamas and Fatah, and said the bombing would continue and even escalate. Mr Olmert, already heavily criticised for last year's inconclusive Lebanon war, is under strong domestic pressure to stop the rocket fire without becoming bogged down in another conflict. At the same time, an Israeli intervention could tip the factional fighting in favour of Fatah. Israel favours Mr Abbas, but overt assistance for Fatah could backfire if Hamas was able to depict Mr Abbas as an ally of Israel. Israeli officials said there were no immediate plans to hit Hamas's political leadership, playing down the likelihood of a sustained ground offensive. They said Israel was more likely to move in and out quickly to try and establish a buffer. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? 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