IAF hits Gaza tunnels; Palestinians say 2 die

The Israel Air Force over the weekend bombed five tunnel systems used for smuggling arms and other goods from Egypt into the Gaza Strip. Sources in the Israel Defense Forces say the targets were destroyed.

At least two Palestinians died in the raids, according to emergency workers in the Gaza Strip. The dead are believed to be the first fatalities in fighting between Israel and the Palestinians since an air strike against tunnels in March.

The air force carried out two attacks on Friday and three Saturday after a two-week hiatus in the violence.

The attacks came in response to renewed rocket launchings and mortar fire from the Gaza Strip into Israel.

The Palestinians fired a Qassam rocket at the western Negev on Thursday and launched two more Saturday. The rockets landed in open fields and no injuries or damage were reported.

Defense sources say, however, that the rocket attacks do not represent any real escalation in the fighting. They note that for the time being Hamas continues to try to contain rocket fire by smaller Palestinian factions.

They say Hamas is keen to preserve the calm, at least for now, because of the tensions with Egypt following the recent uncovering of a Hezbollah-run terrorist ring that smuggled arms into Gaza. Hamas also wants to focus on reconstruction after the blow it suffered during Operation Cast Lead.

Israeli security sources say, however, that significant quantities of arms and materiel are being smuggled through the tunnels despite the military effort in January and closer cooperation with Egypt.

Since the end of the Gaza offensive, Hamas has received long-range rockets capable of striking central Israel, as well as anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles, Israeli sources say.

In political developments, Hamas denied on Saturday the resumption of Egypt's efforts to broker a cease-fire between Israel and militant groups in the Gaza Strip.

"There is nothing new regarding the lull," said Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for Hamas. His comments followed reports that Egypt had asked the Palestinian factions to study the possibility of reaching a new ceasefire with Israel.