ISRAELI MISSILES TORE THROUGH THE PALESTINIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY BUILDING IN GAZA ON WEDNESDAY. THE AIR STRIKE, WHICH WOUNDED AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE, WAS LAUNCHED HOURS AFTER PALESTINIANS FIRED A ROCKET INTO A MAJOR ISRAELI CITY FOR THE FIRST TIME, AN ATTACK THAT DEEPENED A 10-DAY-OLD CRISIS. ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER EHUD OLMERT WAS MEETING WITH TOP SECURITY OFFICIALS, REUTERS REPORTED. GAZA RESIDENTS WERE SHAKEN FROM THEIR BEDS BY THE NOW-FAMILIAR SOUND OF A MASSIVE EXPLOSION AS SHRAPNEL AND RUBBLE FLEW FROM THE FIVE-STOREY INTERIOR MINISTRY BUILDING. THE AIR RAID DAMAGED NEIGHBOURING APARTMENTS, AND MEDICS RUSHED CHILDREN SUFFERING FROM SHOCK TO HOSPITAL. ISRAELI AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE SAME INTERIOR MINISTRY COMPLEX ON JUNE 30, FIVE DAYS AFTER GUNMEN FROM HAMAS'S ARMED WING AND TWO OTHER FACTIONS SNATCHED CORPORAL GILAD SHALIT IN A CROSS-BORDER RAID INTO ISRAEL FROM GAZA. THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT SHALIT'S FATE SINCE THE 19-YEAR-OLD TANK GUNNER WAS CAPTURED.
