Three Palestinian activists were killed early today when an Israeli aircraft fired missiles at their car in the Jabaliya refugee camp of the northern Gaza Strip, security sources said.
The air strike capped another day of chaos in the Gaza with more than 200 Palestinian policemen, shooting into the air, briefly taking over several government buildings in Rafah to protest against the Palestinian Authority's failure to impose law and order in Gaza.
Palestinian officials said that besides the three Islamic Jihad activists, two other passengers were seriously injured in the air raid.
Witnesses said an Israeli aircraft was overhead, indicating a missile strike. The Israeli military had no comment, but Israel Radio said it was a "targeted killing".
The blast occurred near a border area Israel has declared off limits to Palestinians to try to prevent rocket fire at Israel.
Islamic Jihad leader Abu Al Walid said one of the dead was a senior field commander in the group, and the other was his aide. He did not identify the third.
The group threatened revenge.
A witness said the car was in the Jabaliya camp, not in the nearby no-go zone. The explosion turned the car into a twisted mass of metal and left a hole in the street.
Earlier, Palestinian police and gunmen from a faction of the ruling Fatah movement also fought a gunbattle in the Gaza Strip, witnesses said.
Police have been powerless to halt the wave of kidnappings and other violence that has gripped Gaza since Israel withdrew from the area in September. Last week, an officer was killed in a shootout between two rival families.
No one was immediately hurt in the takeovers of Rafah government buildings, but the policemen forced employees out and all work was halted.
The police officers demanded that the Palestinian Authority grant them more authority in facing armed gangs that have taken control of government and elections offices and abducted foreigners in recent months.
The police withdrew and returned to their regular positions after about two hours.
"Everything now is under control," said Interior Ministry spokesman Tawfiq Abu Khoussa.
"We understand the public anger and the feelings of the Palestinian policemen regarding the ongoing chaos. But at the same time, we are against any attempt to dictate facts on the ground," he said.
The increasing chaos in Gaza has weakened Abbas' ruling Fatah Party as it heads to January 25 parliamentary elections - benefiting Hamas.
lA new crossing point for commercial goods between Egypt and Gaza opened with a cargo of vehicles donated to the Palestinian Authority, an Egyptian border official said.
The official said 20 of the 100 vehicles donated by the Qatari government had made the crossing from Al Dahaniya on the Egyptian side into Gaza.
PHOTO CAPTION
Palestinians inspect a car damaged after an Israeli missile strike in northern Gaza Strip January 2, 2006. (Reuters)