ISRAEL BOMBED THE OFFICES OF HAMAS LAWMAKERS, DESTROYED A BRIDGE AND FIRED A TANK SHELL THAT KILLED ONE PALESTINIAN ON FRIDAY AS PART OF A GAZA STRIP OFFENSIVE AIMED AT FORCING MILITANTS TO RELEASE A CAPTURED SOLDIER. ISRAELI FORCES WITHDREW OVERNIGHT FROM CENTRAL GAZA AFTER TWO DAYS OF FIGHTING. AN ARMY STATEMENT SAID THE TROOPS HAD "CURRENTLY COMPLETED THEIR ACTIVITIES IN THE AREA". THE GAZA STRIP IS RINGED BY ISRAELI TANKS AND TROOPS. A CONTINGENT REMAINS IN THE SOUTHERN TIP OF GAZA, WHICH TROOPS ENTERED ON JUNE 28 TO TRY TO FORCE MILITANTS TO FREE CORPORAL GILAD SHALIT AND TO HALT THEIR CROSS-BORDER ROCKET FIRE. ISRAEL HAS KILLED MORE THAN 80 PALESTINIANS IN THE OFFENSIVE. STEPPING UP ATTACKS ON THE HAMAS-LED PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT, AN ISRAELI HELICOPTER FIRED A MISSILE OVERNIGHT INTO THE NORTH GAZA OFFICES OF SEVERAL HAMAS LAWMAKERS, INCLUDING MUSHIR AL-MASRI. MASRI'S OFFICE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED IN THE BLAST.
