Israel invades Gaza

GAZA — Israel has invaded Palestinian-controlled areas of the Gaza Strip and divided the area into three zones.

The invasion by air, sea and ground forces was the largest Israeli military action in the more than six-month-old war with the Palestinians and appears to effectively end the rule by Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat over the Gaza Strip. Arafat arrived in Cairo from Amman as the Israeli counteroffensive began.

Israeli officials said the invasion was prompted by a Palestinian mortar attack on the Israeli city of Sderot on late Monday. At least five 82 mm mortars were fired toward Sderot in two salvos in a neighborhood named after the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who launched a reconciliation effort with Arafat in 1993. The mortars have a range of 1.4 kilometers or nearly a mile.

After the Palestinian attack, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon convened his ministerial security committee and close to midnight, Israeli attack helicopters and tanks were launching a counteroffensive against PA positions throughout the Gaza Strip. The operation, which lasted four hours, began in the northern Gaza Strip and extended to the south.

In all, seven PA installations were targeted. Israeli forces did not enter Gaza City, the de facto capital of the PA, or any other Palestinian cities.

Israeli military commanders described the operation as clean and said the army has plans to capture additional Palestinian territory if the mini-war continues.

"We are not talking about an occupation," Israeli military spokesman Brig. Gen. Ron Kitri said. "We are talking about a takeover. In some cases, our forces entered several hundred meters or one kilometer [in PA-controlled areas]. How long will this be? How long it takes. It could be days or more. We want quiet."

Palestinian sources said Israel used fighter-jets and AH-64A attack helicopters to bomb PA security installations. These included the offices of PA security chief Mohammed Dahlan and those of Arafat's Force 17 praetorian guard. Both agencies have been accused of carrying out recent Palestinian attacks against Israel.

By dawn, the Gaza Strip was divided into three Israeli-controlled zones. The exception was Gaza City, which remains under PA control. Palestinian sources said a PA officer was killed and 26 others were injured during the Israeli operation. Israeli ministers said Sharon does not intend to reoccupy Palestinian areas of the Gaza Strip.

Palestinians forces put up little resistance to the Israeli invasion, despite a televised appeal from PA secretary-general Tayeb Abdul Rahim. Arafat did not directly address the Palestinians.

On Tuesday, the Islamic opposition group, Hamas, claimed responsibility for the mortar attack on Sderot. PA intelligence chief Amin Hindi justified the mortar fire in an interview with PA radio on Tuesday.

In the West Bank, Palestinians and Israeli forces exchanged fire on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Israeli tanks fired shells toward the Bethlehem suburbs of Bet Jallah and El Khader.