Israel strikes Gaza strip targets

Israeli aircraft struck Palestinian militant targets in the Gaza Strip today in response to rocket and mortar attacks, stoking mounting concerns that a grave new round of hostilities will fill the vacuum left by a negotiations impasse in the Mideast peace effort.

Two years of relative calm have frayed in recent weeks with acts of violence against Israelis - including a deadly bombing in Jerusalem yesterday - and Israeli reprisals against Gaza militants, including a round of shelling that killed four Palestinian civilians.