Israel Beginning New Military Campaign in Gaza Strip
Israeli helicopters blasted a Palestinian house with missiles today, killing two people in what Israel called the start of an intensified military campaign in the roiling Gaza Strip. Hours earlier, Israel’s security cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, approved military action in response to recent Palestinian attacks emanating from Gaza, including a double suicide bombing on Sunday that left 10 Israelis dead. The Israeli authorities did not divulge the full scope of the operation, but suggested that it would include both airstrikes and ground actions in operations that could last for days, if not longer. “We are going to put these terrorist groups under continuous pressure,” a spokesman for Mr. Sharon, Raanan Gissin, said. “The leaders of these terror organizations will have to spend their time hiding, not planning terror attacks.” Full Story