Eight people killed in Israeli raid on Gaza refugee camp

AN Israeli raid on a Gaza refugee camp killed eight Palestinians yesterday in the worst violence in the Gaza Strip in two months — just hours after a high-level Egyptian peace mission to Israel.

Monday's visit by Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher was marred by a confrontation with Palestinian extremists at the Al Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third-holiest site, that landed him briefly in the hospital.

Israel earlier told Mr Maher it would abide by a ceasefire with the Palestinians, though it would not sign a truce with militant groups.

Early yesterday, about 40 Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles entered the Rafah refugee camp on the Gaza-Egypt border, Palestinians said.

Eight Palestinians five militants and three civilians were killed and 42 other people, including nine children, were wounded by Israeli gunfire, hospital officials said. The violence marked the bloodiest day in Gaza in two months.

One of those killed, Ahmed Majar, 32, was a Palestinian police officer heading to his job at the Rafah border crossing. He was shot in the head, his family said.

Another victim was Ala Bakhloul, a 23-year-old militant shot twice in the stomach, hospital officials said. At funerals held hours later, the sounds of mourning mixed with those of gunfire and moving tanks.

The death toll in the raid was the worst since 14 Palestinians were killed in an October 20 Israeli bombing at the Nusseirat refugee camp in Gaza.

The army, which has raided Rafah repeatedly in recent weeks, said the operation was a part of its ongoing efforts to expose weapons smuggling tunnels and that troops fired in response to attacks by Palestinian militants. One tunnel was found.

"In the past, these tunnels have been used for delivering arms to terrorists for direct use against Israeli civilians, and Israel has vowed to put an end to such tunnels," said David Baker, an official in Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office.

Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat condemned the raid, which came as officials tried to set up a summit between the Israeli and Palestinian premiers and jump-start the stalled "road map" peace plan.

"Another incursion, another bloody day for the Palestinians," said Erekat. Residents said families fled the area in their pajamas and Israeli snipers were firing from rooftops.

Helicopters flew overhead and explosions were heard throughout the morning. At least seven houses were destroyed, residents said. Also yesterday, two gunmen shot an Israeli vehicle in a rare attack along the border with Egypt, the army and witnesses said.

The car was hit, but no one was injured, and the army was searching for the attackers. It was not immediately clear where the gunmen came from. In separate violence, a Palestinian threw a grenade on Monday evening at Israeli soldiers in Gaza during a firefight, killing two officers.