Israel to launch Gaza ‘aerial siege’

ISRAELI troops will impose an “aerial siege” on parts of Gaza, shooting from helicopters or gunboats at anyone entering a “no-go zone” near the border, as part of a new campaign against Palestinian militants firing rockets at Israeli towns, a senior defence official said yesterday.

However, Deputy Defence Minister Zeev Boim ruled out a major ground offensive against Gaza. He also acknowledged that the homemade Qassam rockets, which are highly inaccurate and have a range of about 10 kilometres, do not pose a strategic threat to Israel.

Mr Boim said Israel was gradually stepping up its response to Palestinian rocket fire, which has intensified since Israel withdrew from Gaza in the summer.

“We are tightening the screw ... by creating these areas, in the hope that they [the Palestinians] will get the message and that this will stop the rocket squads.”

Several rockets have landed in recent days near sensitive infrastructure installations close to the Israeli city of Ashkelon, including a power station and a fuel depot. On Thursday, a rocket fell into an Israeli army base near the Gaza border, slightly wounding five soldiers.

Since the Gaza pullout, militants have been able to move their launching sites closer to the border fence, bringing the Ashkelon area into range. Preferred launching grounds are the ruins of three Jewish settlements in northern Gaza.

The “no-go zone” will be about 2.4km deep.

The Israeli military will present a map of the zone to Palestinian police and drop explanatory leaflets over Gaza to make sure security forces and civilians don’t enter these areas.