The Israel Air Force fired missiles at the Gaza home of a Hamas lawmaker Sunday evening, leaving at least eight Palestinians dead, hospital officials reported. At least four of the eight dead were civilians.

The home belonged to Khalil al-Haya, a Hamas representative in the Palestinian parliament. The IAF missile hit a room used as a meeting place for the extended family, relatives said. Al-Haya was lightly wounded in the attack.

Seven of those killed were members of al-Haya's family, ages 16 to 60. At least 13 people were hurt in the attack.

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Following the attack, Israel Defense Forces sources said that the attack had not been an attempt to assassinate al-Haya. They said the IAF had fired at Hamas militants who had been outside the house. IDF sources maintain that only three of the eight Palestinians killed in the attack had been civilians, and the remaining five had been militants active in the Hamas military wing.

Among the dead were al-Haya's 60-year-old father, Nimer al-Haya, and his sixteen-year-old relative Mohammed al-Haya.

Al-Haya had been one of the Hamas representatives in cease-fire talks with Hamas and returned home from an Egyptian-sponsored truce meeting shortly before the attack.

Al-Haya went to the hospital to visit his wounded relatives. "We will go ahead despite the challenges, despite the martyrs, despite the pain that I am suffering and my people are suffering," he told reporters at the hospital, in remarks carried by local radio stations.

Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, said the dead were civilian members of the al-Haya family, and the attack was a sign that Israel is targeting everyone - civilians and leaders. "This escalation is very serious, he said. All options are open for responding to this."

In a statement, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas called for international pressure to stop the Israeli attacks.

This strike is the first time in two years that the IDF has targeted a non-military wing member of Hamas. The attack was carried out hours after the security cabinet decided to "intensify operational measures" in the Gaza Strip in a bid to halt heightened rocket fire against southern Israel, a government official said.

Witnesses and security sources reported that Israel launched a second air strike in Gaza later on Sunday, causing an explosion at the site of a metalworks factory.

There appeared to be some casualties, witnesses said.

The cabinet threatened that if Hamas attacks on Israel continue it would consider expanding targeted killings to include Hamas political leaders, however, after the IAF attack on the lawmaker's home, the IDF stressed that it had not yet changed its policy and was not targeting Hamas politicians.

"If the strong measures decided upon will not bring a calm [in fighting], then the cabinet will convene to weigh further, more drastic measures," the statement issued by the cabinet read.

Sunday's decision follows a number of calls by members of government and opposition leaders, demanding Israel steps up its military operations against the Palestinian militant group.

Minister for Strategic Threats Avigdor Lieberman, head of the hawkish Yisrael Beiteinu party, warned his fellow coalition partners Sunday that if the government failed to dismantle Hamas, the government itself would be dismantled.

Lieberman spoke as new barrages of Qassam rockets struck the Negev town of Sderot and the surrounding area.

Israel must launch bold military operations aimed at "dismantling Hamas totally and absolutely" and creating "an entirely new situation," Lieberman said.


Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Knesset majority could survive the departure of Yisrael Beiteinu, but the presence of the right-wing has lent him stability until now.

"The current coalition has reached the moment of truth. Either we take apart Hamas, or we take apart the government," Lieberman told Israel Radio.

"This alternative is pure, it's the only one on the agenda. I emphasize that this is not an ultimatum and I am not setting a time limit, but in the end, this is the choice, either you break up Hamas, or you break up the government."

According to Lieberman, "I am speaking of a specific operation, I am speaking of dismantling Hamas totally and absolutely, the creation of an entirely new situation. It is time to stop making declarations and threats. It is time to carry out operations, tough operations, daring, non-routine operations, and I hope that this is what will be."

Kadima minister Ze'ev Boim said earlier Sunday that Israel must strike at Hamas leaders "with all our might," and warned that even Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh could be on Israel's list for potential assassination.

"We must strike their leaders with all our might," Boim told Israel Radio. "There's a list of them from the first of them to the very last."

"Now, with Hamas saying openly that it is the one who is firing the Qassams, we must strike at Hamas. There are people there who are launching them, there are their commanders there in the armed wing, and there is the political echelon, there is a prime minister."

Meanwhile, Olmert on Sunday warned Hamas to cease the Qassam rocket attacks on southern Israel, or face stronger Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip.

"If the measured steps we are taking, in the political and military sphere, do not bring about the desired calm, we will be forced to intensify our response," Olmert told his cabinet in broadcast remarks.

Israel killed three suspected Hamas militants in one of six pre-dawn Air Force strikes in Gaza on Sunday, as it built up pressure on the Islamist militant group to stop firing Qassam rockets into the Sderot area, hit by more than 45 Palestinian rockets over the weekend.

Palestinians reported that a 16-year-old teen, who was passing through the area, was also killed in the attack.

An IDF spokesman confirmed a strike had taken place on a vehicle belonging to Hamas militants and said the size of the explosion confirmed the vehicle was carrying munitions. Palestinians also said the three dead men were most likely members of Hamas.

At least 10 Palestinians have been reported killed in IAF strikes since Friday.

Boim said that years ago, when he had said that no Hamas leader was immune, he had referred to former Hamas chiefs Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Abdel-Aziz Rantisi - both assassinated by Israel in 2004.

"It turned out then that, in fact, no one was immune, and this had beneficial effects on the ground," Boim said.

The security cabinet was to meet Sunday to discuss military options. Cabinet ministers are believed to oppose a ground offensive at this point, favoring continuing the airstrikes.

Residents said that two more air strikes were aimed at metal workshops, one was in the northern part of the coastal territory and the other in Gaza City. Both were destroyed and there were no casualties.

The IDF spokesman said that three strikes had taken place on facilities suspected of manufacturing munitions. Two belonged to Hamas and a third workshop belonged to Islamic Jihad.

Israel began the wave of air strikes against Hamas targets in Gaza on Wednesday, and senior Israeli officials said they were considering taking tougher measures.

Defense Minister Amir Peretz told Israel Radio on Saturday that Israel would go after sensitive Hamas targets in trying to halt the rocket fire from Gaza.

IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said Saturday that troops would continue operating in Gaza "as long as necessary."

At least four Palestinians were killed in IAF strikes Saturday, and seven were killed Friday.