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Thursday, June 21, 2007

Israelis hit Gaza sites after missile strikes

TEL AVIV — Israel has launched its first air strike since Hamas captured the Gaza Strip.

Israeli helicopters struck Palestinian missile launch sites in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. The Israeli strike came in wake of Palestinian missile fire toward Ashkelon hours earlier.

At least five Kassam-class, short-range missiles fell into Israel on late Wednesday and two people were injured. Three of the missiles struck the southern Israeli city of Sderot. In all, eight missiles landed in Israel.

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The Iranian-sponsored Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the latest attacks. Jihad continued missile fire during the Fatah-Hamas war and the Islamic takeover of the Gaza Strip last week.

Israel's military has expressed concern over missile strikes from the Gaza Strip. Military sources said Hamas appeared to have decided to enable Jihad and other insurgency groups to resume their daily missile salvos against Israel despite the threat of heavy retaliation.

"The military is trying to demonstrate restraint," a senior military source said. "Even the air strike [on Wednesday] was not against infrastructure or major terrorist strongholds."

The source said any major operation in the Gaza Strip would require approval by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Olmert was not expected to approve such an operation until after a regional summit in Egypt on June 25 meant to bolster the Fatah-led Palestinian regime in the West Bank.

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