OCCUPIED JERUSALEM – Israel struck three targets in the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Tuesday and warned an on-going crisis with Palestinian fighters had not been resolved, despite a marked decrease in rocket-fire from the territory. The Israeli military said its warplanes successfully hit a weapons storage facility in central Gaza and two rocket launching sites in the north of the coastal enclave. No casualties were reported following the loud, pre-dawn blasts. Palestinian fighters indicated they were ready for a truce with Israel late Monday, and only one rocket strike was reported in Israel by 10.00 a.m. (0800 GMT) Tuesday. However, Defense Minister Ehud Barak told reporters the government was not prepared to forgive and forget following four days of violence. “The matter has definitely not ended and we will decide how and when to act at the time when there will be a need,” he said after meeting regional military commanders. “I do not want to talk about the time or the means because it would not be right to allow the other side to have this information,” he added. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has convened a meeting of his inner circle of nine senior ministers to decide what action to take, aware that public opinion is pushing for an end to the regular Gaza flare-ups. He discussed possible attack scenarios with Barak and military chief Lieutenant General Benny Gantz Monday night and some ministers have said the air force may return to a policy of targeted killings of senior Islamist leaders in Gaza. Tensions rose sharply on Saturday when four Israeli soldiers patrolling the Israel-Gaza border were wounded. Israel responded with tank fire and air strikes that killed six Palestinians, including four civilians, and left at least 40 wounded. — Reuters
