Israel hits Gaza tunnels as US envoy due

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-01-28 17:27

Israel has secured US and European pledges to help to prevent Hamas from rearming through the tunnels and by sea. Israel also has lobbied its Western allies to pressure Cairo to seal its porous border with the Gaza Strip.

US President Barack Obama (C) meets with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) and Mideast Envoy George Mitchell (R) in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, January 26, 2009. [Agencies]

Palestinians have relied on the tunnels as an economic lifeline, smuggling in commercial goods that Israel has not allowed past the blockade it tightened on the Gaza Strip after Hamas seized the territory in internal fighting in 2007.

Palestinians had begun to rebuild tunnels after both sides called a halt to attacks in which 1,300 Palestinians, including at least 700 civilians, and 10 Israeli soldiers and three Israeli civilians were killed.

Israeli leaders, responding to Tuesday's explosion at the Gaza border, promised voters to hit back hard.

Mark Regev, an Olmert spokesman, said Israel held Hamas responsible for "all hostile fire" from the territory.

"Israel wants the quiet in (southern Israel) to continue, but in response to violent provocations by Hamas, provocations deliberately designed to undermine the quiet, Israel will act to defend herself. If Hamas continues with its violent provocations, the ceasefire will simply not exist," he said.

Egypt is mediating a lasting ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, which refuse to hold direct negotiations. Israel wants to include the fate of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier held by Hamas since 2006, in any deal with the Islamist group.

Hamas has said it wants Israel to open border crossings and the blockade in exchange for militants halting rocket fire. It has rebuffed Israeli demands to include Shalit's fate in any ceasefire deal.

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