Israelis fire missiles in Gaza city

Israeli helicopters tonight fired three missiles at targets in Gaza city, witnesses said.

The attack follows a suicide bombing which killed 15 people and wounded nearly 40.

Two suicide bombers blew themselves up minutes apart today in a central Tel Aviv area crowded with foreign workers, killing at least 15 bystanders and wounding nearly 40 in the first such attack since November.

Islamic Jihad, a militant Palestinian group, claimed responsibility for the twin bombings near Tel Aviv’s former central bus station. The claim came in a phone call to the Lebanese TV station Al Manar.

The bombings came three weeks before Israel’s general election. A renewed spate of Palestinian terror attacks is expected to boost support for hardline parties, including Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Likud.