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Palestinian Militants Call for Attacks on Israel

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
21 June 2006

Palestinian militant groups have called for more attacks against Israel, following a missile strike late Tuesday by Israel that left three Palestinian children dead in the Gaza Strip. There was more violence, Wednesday, after Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian gunman in the West Bank town, Nablus.

Israeli troops say they opened fire on two Palestinian gunmen in Nablus, killing one. The man was identified as belonging to the Al-Aqsa Martys Brigade - an offshoot of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party.

The same group is calling for revenge attacks against Israel following a botched Israeli assassination attempt, Tuesday that targeted Al-Aqsa militants traveling in a car in a heavily populated part of the Gaza Strip. The men jumped out of the car before it was struck, but three children who were playing nearby were killed. At least a half-dozen other children were also wounded. The strike came just after Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told a Jerusalem audience that Israel could step up its military activities in Gaza, in retaliation for continuing Palestinian rocket fire at the Israeli town, Sderot, along the Gaza border.

The Israeli prime minister says Israel will not relent in its objective to bring security to its Gaza border.

Tuesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appealed to Palestinian militants to stop firing rockets into southern Israel and honor a cease-fire put in place more than a year ago between Israel and Palestinian groups. In the past, similar appeals have been largely ignored. Mr. Olmert and Mr. Abbas are scheduled to hold what officials describe as a "breakfast meeting" on the sidelines of a conference this week in Jordan. Officials from both sides say no substantive talks are planned.

Israeli military officials say they regret Tuesday's civilian deaths; but that ultimate responsibility for the violence lies with Palestinian militants. Tuesday's air strike was the second in a week to kill Palestinian civilians. In a separate incident, earlier this month, seven members of a Palestinian family were killed in an explosion on a beach in Gaza, during an Israeli artillery bombardment of a nearby area. However, Israeli officials say they were not responsible for the deaths.