As fight shifts to urban Gaza, risks rise for Israel

The official concedes that none of the suicide bombers who have struck inside Israel during the last two years have come from the Strip, which is hemmed in by a heavily guarded fence. But he says that the leaders of Hamas and other groups carrying out the attacks give orders from there. He adds that one of the Palestinians killed in the raid had coordinated attacks for Hamas with operatives in the West Bank. Last Thursday, a Hamas suicide bomber killed six people and himself in an attack in Tel Aviv. Israel immediately responded by leveling most of Arafat's West Bank compound, but the government was criticized by hawks for not also taking action against the Hamas leadership in Gaza.

Analysts predict high casualties on both sides from any fighting in Gaza City or the refugee camps that house much of the Strip's population.

A senior Israeli army officer identified by the army only as Ron, says of Tuesday's raid: "The Palestinians who were killed were terrorists who fought throughout the night and placed explosive devices. We did not encounter any civilians during the operation.

"There was continuous opposition by small cells in all sectors and also anti-tank fire," he says.

In Shajaiyeh, at Jaaber Harazin's house, relatives described how the middle-aged accountant was decapitated by Israeli gunfire while inside his rooftop apartment, which has a corrugated roof and windows of shredded plastic. Mr. Harazin, who had moved back to Gaza City last year after two decades in Abu Dhabi, was on his way to the bathroom when he was hit, his brother Muein said. He was a father of five-month-old twins, Safa and Marwa, who were crying Tuesday in a wrenching accompaniment to the accounts of his death.

Around the corner, two brothers, Khaled and Adil Deeb, were killed in the street by Israeli gunfire as they sought safety, according to relatives. Khaled worked as a clerk for the Palestinian Interior Ministry and his tasks included issuing Palestinian passports, relatives said. Adil was a manual laborer with five children, they said.

Further losses caused by Gaza fighting are inevitable, argues Professor Pedhatzur. He recalls being scoffed at when he predicted, at the outset of Sharon's tenure in March 2001, that Israel would reoccupy the West Bank cities. He argues that a similar logic will force Israel to take over the cities of Gaza. "Sharon has been very clear all along that that terror is to be defeated by military force. There is no opposition to this in Israel," he says. "Because he does not want a political solution since it would mean compromises, his only solution is to use military force. But in fact, this alone cannot solve the problem and it has not solved the problem. So he keeps using more and more force. He has to keep escalating."

The senior Israeli official says, however, that Israel has no choice but to use greater force in Gaza. It has afforded the Palestinian Authority opportunities to use its own security forces to prevent attacks, but this proved a failure, he adds.

Mahmoud Zahar, a Hamas leader, said yesterday: "Sharon will face here a real, real confrontation with big losses. He is most welcome. The people here will resist and be willing to die. I doubt Sharon will be able to tolerate the losses."

• Material from Reuters was used in this report.

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