GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel pummeled Gaza on Thursday with air and ground fire as Palestinian rockets slammed into southern Israel, endangering recently restarted peace negotiations.
The Israeli attacks killed a militant leader and one of his female relatives along with five others in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert vowed to strike Palestinian militants “without compromise, without concessions and without mercy.” His forces carried out stepped-up attacks, but Olmert gave no hint that a large-scale offensive was near.
The violence has clouded Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, resumed after a Mideast conference in November sponsored by President Bush. The spike in violence has drawn condemnations from moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israel’s partner in the peace negotiations.
On Thursday, Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeineh told The Associated Press that the violence is calling into question further talks.
“No one can proceed with negotiations when the situation is like this,” he said.
Gaza militants, led by Hamas, fired dozens of rockets and mortars at Israeli towns, causing no serious injuries but further traumatizing residents who have been putting up with daily barrages for many months. One rocket slammed into the side of a house, slightly injuring two people, police said.
Israeli struck back at northern Gaza, targeting rocket squads and areas that militants frequently use. A leader of the small Hamas-allied Popular Resistance Committees, Raad Abu al-Ful, and a female relative were killed when a missile hit their vehicle, the faction said. Earlier, Palestinian officials said the relative was al-Ful’s wife.
The PRC pledged retaliation.
“Sooner or later, (we) will, by God, avenge every drop of bloodshed, and the response will be equal to the crime,” the group said in a statement.
