Israeli warplanes sent missiles slamming into a car carrying Hamas militants early Sunday, then demolished arms factories belonging to two Palestinian groups, the army said, in a widening of reprisals against Gaza rocket squads.
In Jerusalem, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert threatened tougher action if the intensified rocket fire on Israeli border communities didn't cease.
The sixth straight day of airstrikes came as an uneasy truce between warring Palestinian factions set in. Masked Hamas and Fatah gunmen who had controlled the streets and taken over apartment buildings in the previous week scaled back their presence sharply, and residents who had holed up at home seeking refuge from the gunbattles ventured out to stock up on supplies at busy shops. Children went back to school in time for final exams, and adults returned to work.
Four previous truces last week quickly collapsed, but Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said he expected the cease-fire deal reached Saturday to stick because of Israel's military action. "No one would accept to fight one another while the Israelis are shelling Gaza," he said. |