Israel bombs Gaza; Palestinian Authority returns fire

GAZA — Israel has launched an air attack throughout the Gaza Strip.

Israeli and Palestinian Authority sources said Israeli air force assault helicopters and naval boats bombed and strafed several areas of Gaza City and other cities on the strip on Monday evening.

Palestinian sources said Israeli helicopters fired 11 missiles at various targets, including at police installations near the headquarters of PA Chairman Yasser Arafat. Other targets included Arafat's praetorian guard Force 17.

Palestinian sources said PA security headquarters and Fatah installations in Jabalya, Khan Yunis and Rafiah were also bombed. They said this included PA television and the headquarters of PA Preventive Security Apparatus chief Col. Jibril Rajoub.

The sources said PA forces fired for the first time anti-aircraft missiles toward the helicopters. No further details were disclosed.

Israeli officials confirmed the air attack and said it was in response to an earlier Palestinian bombing of an Israeli schoolbus, in which two people were killed.

"We are talking about purely military targets," Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh said. "It was taken because of the footsteps from the attack this morning that led to these [targets]."

The Israeli air attack came as the military divided the Gaza Strip and Israeli commanders have reinforced positions both on land and off the Gaza coast.