Palestinian militants and bystanders killed in Israeli attacks

ISRAELI troops yesterday fired missiles at the Gaza Strip and raided a West Bank town, killing two Islamic Jihad militants and arresting one of the group’s top leaders in retaliation for a suicide bombing that killed five Israelis.

The attacks, which killed a total of seven Palestinians, came hours after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared a "broad and nonstop" offensive against the Palestinian militant group.

Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for Wednesday's bombing in the central Israeli town of Hadera, calling it revenge for Israel's killing of one of its West Bank leaders last week.