Israeli cabinet approves targeted killings of Palestinians

OCCUPIED-AL-QUDS/GAZA CITY: Israel on Wednesday authorised military operations against Hamas institutions and targeted killings of those behind “terrorist attacks” in a bid to counter Palestinian rocket fire.

The decision in principle to close in on the Islamist group, which heads the internationally boycotted Palestinian government, came as two Hamas activists were killed and an Israeli soldier was wounded in clashes in northern Gaza.

In a meeting chaired by beleaguered Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Israel’s powerful security cabinet backed military operations against Hamas institutions in Gaza and targeted operations against anyone involved in “terrorist attacks”.

The cabinet also decided to continue diplomatic efforts with Egypt and the wider international community to stop weapons smuggling into the Gaza Strip and the “strengthening of terrorism” in the territory.

Nevertheless, security chiefs appeared to have ruled out a wider ground offensive in the Gaza Strip for the time being, ordering the army only to prepare for such a stepped up offensive and to submit plans for approval.

“The Israeli security cabinet decides to continue target killing operations against any element involved in terrorist attacks as well as military operations against Hamas institutions in the Gaza Strip,” the cabinet said.

“The objectives will be authorised by the prime minister and the defence minister (Amir Peretz),” an official statement added.

Olmert and Peretz, his more dovish coalition partner, have reportedly been at loggerheads recently over a widening policy gulf because of the continuing violence that previous military operations have proved powerless to stop.

Israel launched a massive crackdown on Hamas in June, arresting dozens of elected officials and bombing government ministries and Palestinian strongholds after its armed wing claimed part responsibility for capturing a soldier.

Three rockets exploded inside Israel on Wednesday, causing no casualties although one fell close to a primary school in Sderot, an army spokeswoman said.

In the Gaza Strip, two Hamas activists were killed by Israeli fire in the north as Israel pressed ahead with offensives in an effort to lessen rocket attacks. Six other Palestinians, including a child, were wounded by Israeli tank fire, Palestinian medical sources said, and a soldier was evacuated to Israel in a serious condition after a Palestinian anti-tank rocket attack.

Meanwhile, Two Italian aid workers seized at gunpoint in the Gaza Strip returned to Occupied-al-Quds on Wednesday after being released in the latest kidnapping of foreigners in the lawless territory.

Claudio Moroni, 36, and Gianmarco Onorato, 63, of the Italian Red Cross were held for several hours but well treated after being snatched by masked gunmen Tuesday while driving alone back to Gaza City from the south of the territory.

Despite earlier reports to the contrary, Red Cross staff denied the organisation had frozen its activities in the Gaza Strip in response or that its staff would leave the increasingly impoverished Palestinian territory.