Israel's air force destroyed a Hamas security headquarters in Gaza City yesterday, killing at least two people and wounding more than 20, in a powerful response to rocket attacks by Palestinian militants.
Smoke rose from what remained of the building in the heart of the city, where rival factions have been battling each other for the past six days in violence that has brought Palestinians to the verge of all-out civil war.
"I can confirm that we have carried out an air strike," an army spokesman said in Tel Aviv.
Gaza residents and Hamas radio identified the target as a building used by the Islamist group's Executive Force, which is challenging Fatah for security control of the territory.
An Executive Force spokesman said at least two people were killed and more than 20 injured, with some still trapped under the collapsed structure.
"We have had enough. Israel will take all defensive measures to protect our citizens from these Hamas rockets," Miri Eisin, a spokeswoman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, said before the air strike.
At least two Israelis were lightly wounded by rocket salvoes in the southern town of Sderot, near the Gaza border.
Earlier yesterday, at least one Palestinian was killed in a clash between Hamas and Fatah gunmen in the Gaza Strip, despite a ceasefire deal agreed late on Wednesday.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said a small number of tanks and armored vehicles crossed over the Gaza fence "but they have not gone in for an offensive operation".
The current round of fighting erupted on Friday between Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' secular Fatah faction. More than 40 Palestinians have been killed in the violence, the most serious since the two groups formed a unity government two months ago.
Meanwhile, Abbas was assuming a direct role in trying to stop bloody clashes between his Fatah and the Islamic Hamas that threatened to engulf his people in civil war and provoke a harsh Israeli response.
Abbas was traveling from the West Bank to Gaza City yesterday for talks with officials, including Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas. Abbas aide Yasser Abed Rabbo said one of Abbas' options was to declare a state of emergency, giving him sweeping powers to override the Hamas-Fatah government that has been ineffective in halting the clashes.
In an apparent attempt to drag Israel into the conflict, Hamas rained more than 20 rockets on the Israeli town of Sderot on Wednesday for the second day in a row, inviting Israeli retaliation.
Israel hit back twice, its aircraft targeting a car with militants, killing two, and firing a missile at a Hamas command post, killing four.
Illustrating the effect of Israeli involvement, Hamas and Fatah fighters put aside their differences to dig through the rubble of the base side by side.
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