WITH ISRAELI forces poised to launch a major operation in Gaza, Israel yesterday allowed urgently needed humanitarian supplies to reach the Strip even though Palestinian rocket fire continued.
Two Palestinian sisters, aged 5 and 13, residents of Beit Lahiya in the north of the Strip, were killed when a rocket launched by militants misfired. Three other people were hurt.
More than a dozen rockets and mortars were fired from Gaza even though Israel opened the border crossings to allow in humanitarian supplies.
About 90 trucks brought food, medicine, fuel and cooking gas. The shipment included a large donation organised by the wife of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.
Israeli officials said the move was taken to avoid a humanitarian crisis developing in the Strip, where supplies are desperately low due to Israel's blockade. International leaders and aid agencies over the last few weeks pressed Israel to ease the sanctions. But some Israelis who live close to border and suffer daily rocket attacks, criticised the move.
The head of the Eshkol Regional Council, Haim Yelin, said the border crossings should remain closed.
"I must say that I fail to understand the reasons behind continuing to deliver aid to those Palestinians on 'humanitarian grounds', " he stated. "Why is the humanitarian need always one-sided? Why are there no humanitarian concerns towards us and a stop to the rocket fire?"
Israel had initially planned to open the border crossings on Wednesday, but kept them closed in response to a particularly heavy rocket barrage. More than 70 rockets and mortars landed across southern Israel on the worst day of violence since the six-month ceasefire ended last week.
The escalation marked the tipping point for the Israeli leadership, who consequently gave the Israeli Defense Forces the green light for an advanced military response.
The military campaign will likely include massive air strikes combined with limited operations on the ground, although will fall short of an Israeli reoccupation of the entire Gaza Strip. The operation is likely to last a few days with military planners aware of the need for the invading forces to avoid becoming bogged down.
Hamas and other armed groups have used the six-month truce to prepare for such an Israeli incursion, stockpiling supplies that, according to Israeli intelligence reports, include longer range rockets and anti-aircraft missiles.
On Thursday, at a meeting in Cairo, with visiting Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni, President Mubarak urged Israel to show restraint. Livni's response, "enough is enough", indicated that the Israeli leadership had already decided to hit back hard against Hamas.
Israeli leaders have remained tight-lipped over when the operation will begin, but Israeli army generals will wait for the current spell of inclement weather to pass before giving the go-ahead.
Egypt yesterday made preparations for the expected Israeli operation by reinforcing its border with the Gaza Strip.
The Egyptians are concerned that Gaza residents may try to breach the border if Israeli troops invade.