Israeli aircraft unleashed a barrage of missiles early Wednesday and fired artillery into the Gaza Strip for the first time, pushing forward with an offensive despite a pledge by Islamic militants to halt their recent rocket attacks against Israel. Renewed fighting that entered its fifth day Wednesday has compounded Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon’s political problems. The violence had been expected to harm Sharon’s chances in a vote Monday in the ruling Likud Party, where hard-liners hoped to punish him for the Gaza withdrawal. Full Story
