Israeli bulldozers destroyed at least two buildings in the southern Gaza Strip today, despite US concern that Israel's policy of house demolitions could fuel the conflict with the Palestinians.
Palestinian witnesses said armoured military bulldozers knocked down three large houses in the Rafah refugee camp, near the Israeli-controlled border with Egypt.
They said soldiers fired into the air to disperse a group of international protesters who tried to prevent the troops from entering the outskirts of the camp. There were no reports of casualties.
The army said the buildings were abandoned and had been used by Palestinian gunmen to fire anti-tank rockets and grenades at troops patrolling the border.
Three Israelis were wounded in a rocket attack by Palestinian gunmen in the area on Tuesday, the army said.
The United States yesterday joined a chorus of international criticism at Israel's policy of home demolitions which have been denounced as "collective punishment" by Palestinians and human rights groups.
Tension has heightened recently following a spate of house demolitions by Israel and the killing of an elderly Israeli man by a militant group linked to President Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction. His battered and scorched body was found on Thursday.
Washington has been calling for calm in the Middle East to avoid complicating its plans for a possible military campaign against Iraq, which the United States accuses of seeking weapons of mass destruction.