MIDDLE EAST: Israeli defence officials said yesterday they were imposing an "aerial siege" on northern Gaza, and the defence minister proposed shelling populated Palestinian areas once they have been evacuated, if militants continued firing rockets from the Strip at Israeli towns.
The officials said Israel would begin imposing a "no-go" zone in northern Gaza, in a bid to force the rockets out of range of Ashkelon, a city in southern Israel with just over 100,000 residents.
Anyone venturing into the no-go area would be fired at from the air, officials said.
The threats were made a day after four Israeli soldiers were lightly injured by one of the makeshift Palestinian rockets, which landed in a military base just south of Ashkelon.
Militants have been improving the range of the rockets, dubbed Qassams by Hamas, and have succeeded in hitting the southern outskirts of Ashkelon, almost 10km from the Strip.
If the rocket fire continued, deputy defence minister Ze'ev Boim suggested yesterday, Israel should aim its artillery fire not only at open areas - as it has been doing until now - but also at populated areas in northern Gaza, from where rockets are fired.
Residents, he said, should be told they had 12 hours to evacuate their homes before the shelling began.
He emphasised that no such decision had yet been taken.
"I believe that one action of this kind could solve the problem," he said.
Earlier this week, officials threatened that if the rocket fire continued, Israel would cut off electricity to Gaza.
The rocket fire also poses a political problem for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who is fighting for re-election largely on the basis of his decision to withdraw from Gaza earlier this year, which he said would improve Israel's security.