Palestinians vow revenge as Israeli raid kills 14
Thirteen of the 14 victims, including Islamist militants and children, of the early morning operation at the Nusseirat and the neighbouring Bureij refugee camps were buried in a mass ceremony in a nearby cemetery yesterday afternoon.
Scores of masked, gun-toting militants mingled among the crowds who chanted: "Revenge, revenge" and "Our answer will be in Tel Aviv".
More than 100,000 residents are crammed into the two impoverished camps which Israel says are a hotbed of militancy.
The hardline Hamas movement said earlier that nine of its fighters were killed in the operation, which Israel said was carried out to "prevent terrorist attacks carried out against Israeli targets."
Palestinian medical sources said that three boys, aged eight, 12 and 15, were also among those killed in the clashes around the entrance to the neighbouring camps. More than 80 other people were wounded, they added.
Ismail Haniya, a leader of Hamas in Gaza, had earlier vowed that the killing would "not pass without punishment."
The raid by Israeli troops sparked gun battles which wounded more than 80 people, one day after militants staged an elaborate attack on soldiers at the main Gaza crossing into Israel.
The violence was part of a new wave of fighting in Gaza as each side tries to make a proposed Israeli withdrawal from the area look like a victory.
Soldiers searched houses but found no weapons and made no arrests, said the operation's commander, Col. Yoel Strick.
"Terrorism is pouring out of this refugee camp, and we have to stop it," said Israeli government spokesman Avi Pazner.
"We believe that by doing so we have prevented acts of terror in Israel and saved many human lives."
Palestinians used anti-tank missiles and explosives against the soldiers, the army said.
In Nusseirat, soldiers briefly surrounded the homes of two leaders of the Popular Resistance Committees, an umbrella group of members of several militant factions.
By midmorning, soldiers began withdrawing from the area but were slowed by militants chasing them with rocket-propelled grenades and mortars.
Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat condemned the raid, calling for a return to negotiations on the U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan.
"At a time when they're speaking about withdrawing from Gaza, they're destroying Gaza," Erekat said.
On Saturday, three Palestinian militant groups staged an elaborate attack at the Erez Crossing, sending a suicide bomber and militants with assault rifles in vehicles disguised as a taxi and two Israeli army jeeps to attack soldiers guarding the heavily fortified area.
Four Palestinian assailants and two Palestinian policemen were killed in the attack. No Israelis were hurt.
Israel closed the crossing, used by 19,000 workers who cross in to Israel, in response to the attack.
Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon, the Israeli army chief, said a decision would be made soon about reopening Erez, the target of three deadly attacks since January 24.
"If we see that the terror groups don't let up, we will have to reconsider," he said.
Militants said they were stepping up attacks to show they are forcing Israel out of Gaza. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, a militant group linked to Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction, claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has said he would evacuate most Gaza Strip settlements if peace efforts do not bear fruit soon. The United States has stopped short of backing the deal, and American envoys were expected to arrive within days for a third round of talks on the plan.
Israel, meanwhile, is expected to intensify military strikes ahead of its planned withdrawal to avoid giving the impression it is fleeing. Seven Palestinians six militants and a 10-year-old boy were killed in targeted Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City in the past week.
Pazner denied a link between the increasing number of Israeli raids and the planned withdrawal.
"We are now fighting terrorism. This has nothing to do with any future plan about Gaza," he said.
Saturday morning's attack began when a Palestinian taxi sped toward Erez and exploded just outside a heavily fortified army checkpoint.
Moments later, two more attackers in a jeep with Israeli military markings including army license plates and a flashing light on the roof pulled up. One of the men jumped out and opened fire with an assault rifle. Troops fired back, killing the pair.
A second jeep blew up outside the crossing zone, apparently after Palestinian policemen guarding the Gaza side blocked its path.
The thunderous blasts were followed by the heavy rattle of Israeli gunfire.
Two Palestinian policemen were killed. The military said they were hit by shrapnel from the exploding third car, but Palestinian hospital officials said the two had gunshot wounds. Nineteen people, including police officers and taxi drivers, were wounded, including two critically.
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