GAZA (Islamweb & News Agencies) - An Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire was in tatters on Wednesday after Palestinian Resistance men killed two Israeli settlers and wounded about 15 during a surprise raid into an internationally illegal Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip. Israeli occupation authorities hit back by firing missiles into Gaza City and tanks shelled offices of the Gaza national security body. (Read photo caption below)
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon convened a meeting of his inner cabinet to urgently review the situation a week into a truce plan battered by the deaths of 20 Palestinians, two Israelis, a car bomb in Jerusalem and many shooting attacks.After a three-hour meeting Sharon issued a statement calling the attack ``severe'' and holding the Palestinian Authority and President Yasser Arafat responsible.
The statement said the Israeli Army would take all measures needed to protect Israeli citizens and called on the United States and the international community to declare Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and Hizbollah terrorist organizations.
Israel earlier tightened a naval blockade of Gaza.
The military wing of the Resistance Muslim group Hamas, which opposes the truce plan, claimed responsibility for the attack at the Alei Sinai settlement near Gaza's northern border with Israel in which occupation troops shot dead three Palestinian Resistance men.
The attack was intended to show ``the blood of the Palestinian people is not an open target for anybody,'' the Hamas raid unit said in a statement.
Israel has killed 20 Palestinians since the latest truce agreement was sealed by Palestinian president Arafat and Israeli foreign minister, Peres a week ago.
Palestinians regard internationally illegal settlements on Arab soil legitimate targets for Resistance operations.
The tit-for-tat attacks set back hopes that an end could be in sight to a 12-month-old uprising against Israeli occupation in which at least 607 Palestinians and 171 Israelis have been killed.
PHOTO CAPTION:
An Israeli armored personnel carrier patrols the check point between Ramallah and Birzeit during demonstrations protesting the Israeli blockade of the West Bank road that has prevented many students from attending Birzeit University, October 2, 2001. (Osama Silwadi/Reuters