Israel has resumed an assassination policy against Islamic Jihad militants, a sign of how far a truce with the Palestinians has deteriorated.
An Israeli aircraft fired missiles at four Islamic Jihad men in the Gaza village of Beit Lahiya today as they launched rockets into Israel. No one was hurt but a rocket was destroyed. The army said the strike targeted the launchers, not people.
A government official had earlier said Israel could stage air strikes in Gaza, even at the risk of Palestinian civilian casualties, to ensure its Gaza pullout did not come under fire.
Israel shelved “targeted killings” of militants in February as part of a new truce deal.
But resurgent violence has raised the spectre of disruption to Israel's planned August withdrawal from Gaza and dimmed hopes for “road map” peace talks afterwards.
Khaled al-Batsh, Islamic Jihad leader
Word that the assassination policy had been dusted off came with Israeli confirmation of a failed missile strike yesterday while Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were holding tense talks in Jerusalem.
“An opportunity presented itself. Any means to neutralise the organisation are relevant and possible,” Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra said.
Islamic Jihad has resumed mortar bomb and rocket salvoes against Jewish settlements in Gaza in what it calls retaliation for continued Israeli raids to capture wanted militants.
“The attempt yesterday to kill an Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza signalled the resumption of the targeted killing policy,“ an Israeli security source said.
Khaled al-Batsh, a senior Islamic Jihad leader, warned of “terrible consequences” if Israel carried out assassinations.
“The calm would thereby end. We will not be dictated to by Israel,” he said in Gaza.
Later, a senior adviser to Sharon said Israel could stage air strikes in Gaza if militants tried to attack departing settlers to try to show they were chasing them out of occupied territory.