Israel intensify operations in Gaza

ISRAEL will step up military operations in the Gaza Strip, including a more intensive air campaign and the possible demolition of hundreds of Palestinian homes, Israeli officials said yesterday.

At the first Cabinet meeting since 13 Israeli soldiers were killed in three separate incidents in Gaza last week, Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz and military chief Lt Gen Moshe Yaalon pledged to crack down on militant groups, according to officials in the meeting.

Last week's bloodshed in Gaza which also included the deaths of 32 Palestinians has strengthened calls in Israel for a pullout from the volatile coastal area. Gaza is home to some 7,500 Jewish settlers who live amid 1.3 million Palestinians.