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09/25/2005:

"Gaza erupts as Israel strikes back at Hamas"

Israel killed two Hamas militants and wounded more than 20 civilians yesterday in a sustained series of air strikes on the Gaza Strip, the first since it pulled troops out earlier this month.
A series of huge explosions were heard across Gaza signalling the worst violence since Israel's pullout after 38 years of occupation.

Yesterday afternoon Israel fired rockets at two vehicles in Gaza City which it said had been carrying munitions and Hamas militants. A further series of air strikes came later in the day after Israeli ministers held an emergency session and agreed to resume targeted assassinations of Palestinian militants, according to a source who took part in the meeting.

Security officials said 'Operation First Rain' would include artillery fire and air strikes in response to a wave of mortar attacks on Israeli towns by Hamas. Israel promised the operation would grow in intensity, leading up to a ground operation - unless the Palestinian security forces takes action to halt the rocket attacks or Hamas decides to end the attacks itself.
guardian.co.uk