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Hamas men killed in Israeli strike

GAZA CITY: Israel killed at least two Hamas militants in a missile strike on Saturday and moved artillery cannons to the Gaza border, part of a what it said would be a ``crushing'' response to the first major Hamas rocket barrage on Israeli towns since Israel's pullout from Gaza two weeks earlier.

Israel also sealed the West Bank and Gaza, barring all Palestinians from its territory.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon scheduled a meeting of his Security Cabinet on Saturday evening to approve the military response, expected to last several days, though a large-scale ground operation appeared unlikely.

The timing of the Cabinet meeting suggested a sense of urgency. The Cabinet session came as Mr. Sharon faces a major leadership challenge in his Likud Party this week over the Gaza pullout. Mr. Sharon's challenger, former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has criticised the pullout as a surrender to violence and warned it will encourage further attacks. The barrage of 39 rockets, with five Israelis lightly hurt, could give Mr. Netanyahu a boost against Mr. Sharon. The escalation was set off by an explosion on Friday at a Hamas rally in the crowded Jebaliya refugee camp in which at least 15 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded. Witnesses said the blast went off near a pickup truck carrying Hamas militants and homemade rockets.

Hamas blamed Israel for the blast and said it fired rockets on Israeli border towns in retaliation. However, the Palestinian Authority held the Islamic militants responsible, saying they apparently mishandled explosives. Israel denied any involvement. — AP

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