Israel kills two Palestinian militants as truce ends

GAZA - Israeli artillery fire killed two Palestinian militants in Gaza yesterday after rocket attacks were launched from the area, Palestinian security sources said, as a truce declared by militant groups drew to a close.

The killings of the men marked the first such casualties since the Israeli army imposed a "no-go" zone in the area, using air strikes and artillery fire to target Gaza militants to try to curb rocket attacks.

The violence came after Palestinian militants repeated their threat to abandon a de facto truce at the start of 2006, marking a further challenge to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ahead of a crucial Palestinian election.

A statement dated January 1 by Hamas, which is sworn to destroying Israel and has led a suicide bombing campaign since the start of a 2000 uprising, said Israel would "pay the price for its crimes committed against our people in northern Gaza".

Israel has demanded that Abbas disarm gunmen as a condition to renewing a "road map" peace plan. Abbas vowed on Saturday to impose law and order, following the kidnapping of three Britons and a surge of internal Palestinian unrest.

Palestinian militants, frustrated over poverty and alleged corruption within Abbas's Fatah party and security forces, have kidnapped foreigners and briefly seized government buildings in recent months, demanding jobs.

"It is time to impose the authority of law and order," Abbas said in a New Year message broadcast on Palestinian television.

"These events ... harm our international credibility and strengthen Israel's pretext to undermine peace and stop withdrawals."

The Palestinian leader's ruling Fatah faction faces a strong challenge from Hamas in January 25 legislative elections, despite Israeli and US objections to the participation of Hamas in the polls.

Officials from Fatah have urged Abbas to postpone the ballot after Israel threatened to bar the vote from being held in East Jerusalem in protest at Hamas taking part.

The killings of the two Palestinians in northern Gaza by Israeli artillery fire from near the border marked the last fatality in Israeli-Palestinian violence in 2005, which saw the longest lull in bloodshed since the start of the uprising.

Palestinian suicide bombings and frequent rocket attacks by militants, and Israeli strikes in Gaza and West Bank raids, had strained the nine-month truce. Both sides have accused the other of breaching it.

Israel says its military action against Palestinian militants is a substitute for what it says is Abbas's inability to act against them himself. The Palestinian leader has preferred to negotiate with the groups.

Israel fears Hamas could make strong gains in the Palestinian vote and win a considerable amount of influence in parliament, which could threaten future peace talks. The Jewish state says it will never negotiate with militant groups.

Support for Hamas has grown since the Palestinian uprising began, a trend that has accelerated in the wake of Israel's pullout from Gaza after 38 years of military rule, and since a rift within Fatah surfaced.

Hamas gained control of large West Bank cities and much of the Gaza Strip in municipal elections held in several rounds during 2005, and is expected to perform strongly in the parliamentary ballot in January.

- REUTERS