Israel strikes Gaza while new Knesset takes over and diplomacy restarts

JERUSALEM -- Israel broadened its military operations in the Gaza Strip this week in response to a Hamas attack that killed four Israeli soldiers.

As a result of the operations, Israeli forces killed at least 17 Palestinians during a week that threatened yet more violence to come.

The past week also witnessed the swearing-in of the 16th Knesset and a vow from Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat to appoint a prime minister.

In the most deadly of Israel's military operations, at least 11 Palestinian gunmen were killed during an incursion into Gaza City on Tuesday night. It was the second such incursion in as many days.

Some 40 tanks backed up by military helicopters entered a neighborhood considered a hotbed of Hamas activity and destroyed four weapons factories and 32 machines used for making weapons. During the six-hour operation, the troops came under heavy fire, but there were no Israeli casualties.

As part of the tit-for-tat violence that has marked the intifada, Palestinians retaliated Wednesday by firing three Kassam rockets at the Israeli town of Sderot.

A 35-year-old Israeli man suffered serious head injuries in the attack, the army said. No group claimed responsibility, though Hamas has frequently carried out rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip on the Sderot area.

In recent days, Israeli security officials had noted efforts by the Palestinian Authority to prevent Hamas rocket attacks at Israeli targets from Gaza, but Wednesday's attack apparently marked a return to an earlier Palestinian strategy.

Israel vowed Wednesday to prevent more such attacks.

"We will use whatever resources are at our disposal to slam the door on the terror spewing out of the Gaza Strip," said David Baker, an official in the Prime Minister's Office.

In January, when 11 rockets fell in the Sderot area, Israeli troops swept through Gaza in an effort to stop the attacks on the western Negev.

In other violence Wednesday, two Palestinians were reportedly killed when a large Israeli force entered the West Bank city of Nablus.

Soldiers carried out searches for Palestinian terrorists and exchanged fire with Palestinian gunmen.

The four Israeli soldiers killed Saturday were members of a tank crew. They died when a large mine weighing more than 200 pounds exploded beneath their tank in northern Gaza.

The four were identified as Cpl. Noam Bahagon, 20, of Elkana; Sgt. Tal Alexei Belitzky, 21, of Rishon le-Zion; Staff Sgt. Doron Cohen, 21, of Rishon le-Zion; and Sgt. Itay Mizrahi, 20, of Beersheva.

This was the fourth such fatal attack against a tank during the past year.

Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was to avenge the recent killing of two of its members in Gaza by Israeli troops.

Israeli army officials believe the tank set off the mine when it deviated from the path being cleared by a bulldozer that was traveling ahead the tank.

The attack touched off a series of Israeli military actions against Hamas targets.

On Monday night, Israeli troops killed a Hamas member wanted for involvement in terrorist attacks. Israeli troops operating near Hebron surrounded the house Mohammed Muhr was hiding in and opened fire when he refused to surrender.

Earlier Monday, Israeli troops shot a Hamas leader, Riad Abu Zeid, in an operation near a Gaza refugee camp. He later died of his injuries in an Israeli hospital.

Abu Zeid was believed to have taken over from Mohammad Deif, who was seriously wounded in an Israeli military missile raid in the Gaza Strip several months ago.

Also on Monday, two Palestinians were killed and four others wounded in exchanges of fire that erupted during an Israeli military incursion into Gaza City.

During the incursion, Israeli tanks demolished the house of a Hamas terrorist, Ahmed Randur, believed to have been responsible for Saturday's attack on the Israeli tank. Randur was not home and remained at large.

In another development, six Hamas members were killed Sunday in an explosion in Gaza City.

Hamas blamed Israel, but Israeli sources said the blast may well have been a "work accident" caused when a bomb the Hamas members were making went off prematurely.

In a development likely to raise tensions between the two sides, Israel this week appropriated Palestinian land near Rachel's Tomb on the outskirts of Bethlehem for a security wall.

Israel says the wall is necessary to protect Jewish worshippers and keep Palestinian terrorists out of Israel. Palestinians complain that Israel grabbed the land illegally and is dividing the town in violation of previous peace agreements.

Meanwhile, Israeli officials have expressed doubt over Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat's announcement that he would appoint a prime minister to oversee day-to-day operations of the Palestinian Authority.

Mofaz told the Cabinet on Sunday that Arafat's declaration last Friday was apparently fueled by a desire to improve world opinion of him.

On Monday, Arafat deputy Mahmoud Abbas said he would "seriously" consider becoming prime minister if the post were offered him.

In another development Monday, Israel's 16th Knesset was sworn in.

Legislators elected Reuven Rivlin, a Likud Party veteran, as the new speaker.

The Knesset is scheduled to conclude in November 2007, but could it end sooner if early elections are called before then.

At Monday's swearing-in, former Prime Minister Shimon Peres called on the Palestinians to work with Israel to put an end to the terror and bloodshed.

Peres, who chaired Monday's session, said Israel must continue to fight terrorism, but with a hand extended in peace.

"We must listen to those Palestinian leaders who are calling for an end to the intifada,'' he said.

Despite the general inactivity on the diplomatic front, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon reportedly met recently with the Palestinian Authority official for finance, Salam Fayed, at Sharon's official residence in Jerusalem, Israel Radio reported.

During the meeting, which was also attended by Sharon aide Dov Weisglass, Sharon and Fayed exchanged views on the possibility of advancing diplomatic talks.

This was Sharon's second recent meeting with a Palestinian official.

Two weeks ago, he met with the speaker of the Palestinian legislative council, Ahmed Karia, and proposed a gradual cease-fire in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.