Israel strikes back after port bombing

Israeli helicopters attacked a suspected Hamas weapons workshop in Gaza City early today and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called off a summit with his Palestinian counterpart – a first response to a double suicide bombing that killed 10 Israelis in a heavily guarded Israeli seaport.

The first deadly Palestinian attack on a strategic target in more than three years of fighting sent Israeli officials scrambling to discover security breaches.

The bombers, a pair of 17-year-old high school students from a Gaza refugee camp, apparently managed to slip through the heavily patrolled Gaza border fence, evaded tight security at Ashdod port and used high-grade plastic explosives.

Two militant groups, Hamas and the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, claimed joint responsibility and said the bombing was ushering in a deadlier phase in the current round of fighting.

Israel has been concerned about a Palestinian “mega attack” on chemical depots or fuel storage facilities that could kill hundreds or even thousands.

So far, more than 100 Palestinian suicide bombings since 2000 have targeted Israeli malls, cafés and buses, but no single attack has claimed more than 30 lives.

Palestinian militants in Gaza have been stepping up attacks in recent weeks, in response to Sharon’s proposal to withdraw from all or most of Gaza if peace talks with the Palestinians remain frozen.

The militants want to claim victory by creating the impression that they are driving Israel out of Gaza.

In a first response to the bombing, Sharon cancelled a summit, tentatively set for tomorrow, with his Palestinian counterpart, Ahmed Qureia.

Early today, Israeli helicopters fired missiles at three suspected Hamas weapons workshops in Gaza City, causing some damage, but no injuries.

Sharon was awaiting the return of Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz from a US trip tomorrow before deciding on possible larger-scale strikes, a security official said.

Police stepped up security at all Israeli seaports, airports and train stations. Amos Ron, director of Israel’s Ports Authority, said bombing-sniffing dogs would begin patrolling Ashdod port in the coming days.

Palestinian militants, meanwhile, fired an anti-tank missile at an armoured bus carrying Israeli settlers in Gaza early today, the army said. The missile tore through the bus, causing heavy damage, but no one was hurt, the army said.

Yesterday’s bombing was the fourth attack carried out jointly by Al Aqsa and Hamas in recent weeks.

The bombers, Mahmoud Salem and Nabil Massoud, were classmates at a Jebaliya high school and attended the same mosque. Their fathers described them as devout Muslims and said they were proud of their sons.

They went to Ashdod port, about 14 miles north of Gaza. One entered the port and blew himself up near a group of workers standing outside a machine repair workshop. The second bomber detonated his explosives near the perimeter fence of the port.

Ten people were killed, in addition to the bombers, and 18 were wounded, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said. Officials initially said 11 Israelis were killed.

The attackers were the first Palestinian bombers from Gaza to infiltrate into Israel during the current round of violence. The volatile coastal strip is surrounded by a fence and subject to stringent security.