Israel's Army said on Tuesday there would be no let-up in its hunt for Islamic militants after it killed 10 Palestinians, most of them civilians, and wounded about 100 in a day of air strikes in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian militant groups vowed to avenge the raids. In one attack on a refugee camp, a helicopter gunship chasing suspected militants in a car fired a missile into a crowd of people, killing seven civilians. A 12-year-old was among the seven killed at Nusseirat camp and at least 70 people were wounded, medics said. Two militants and a bystander were killed and at least 26 people were hurt in other air strikes. The casualties were inflicted in five air raids over a 12-hour period. The raids followed an ambush by gunmen, who killed three Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, and the launch of eight makeshift rockets from Gaza into Israel on Sunday. Israeli Army spokeswoman Ruth Yaron said a missile hit some civilians at Nusseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, as helicopter gunships chased a carload of militants who had tried to cross from Gaza into Israel to carry out an attack. She said: ‘‘As long as this war of terrorism continues against us and our families, we have no choice but to fight — with caution so that few innocent people are hurt — and to hit the terrorists.’’ The air raids enraged Palestinians. ‘‘We will avenge your blood,’’ Hamas supporters shouted at a funeral march after the strikes on Monday, and others chanted: ‘‘There is no alternative to bombings.’’ Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said: ‘‘Most of those killed are civilians. It’s the bloodiest and most dangerous escalation in years.’’ Meanwhile, the US renewed its advice to citizens to leave the Gaza Strip and urged them to avoid travel to Israel or the West Bank. Israeli PM Ariel Sharon also put pressure on Palestinians to crack down on militants by renewing a threat to remove Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in a speech to Parliament on Monday. He also reaffirmed policies that include construction of a barrier in the West Bank, which Israel says is needed to stop suicide attacks, but which Palestinians say grabs land they want for an independent state. Arab nations urged the UN General Assembly on Monday to adopt a resolution declaring the barrier illegal. (Reuters)
