Some Gaza militants put Hebrew labels on rockets

GAZA, Oct 16 (Reuters) An intense rivalry among militant groups in the Gaza Strip has taken an odd twist with some fighters now labeling rockets they fire at Israel with Hebrew to make sure they are credited for the attacks.

A Reuters photograph taken today showed an Israeli policeman lifting the remains of a rocket fired from Gaza at southern Israel, with Hebrew lettering identifying it as an Al-Quds 3, a rocket made by Islamic Jihad militants.

Abu Abdullah, a spokesman for Islamic Jihad's armed wing, said the Hebrew language label was intended both to threaten Israelis and ''distinguish its rockets from those of other factions'' such as Hamas, whose rockets are more widely known.

Islamic Jihad is not the only Palestinian faction to sign off in Hebrew in a bid to compete with Hamas. The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction, has also begun doing so.

Israeli authorities nearly always refer to the makeshift rockets fired from Gaza as Qassams, the name of those made by Hamas, the ruling party and Fatah's chief rival.

Hamas, an Islamist group that is officially sworn to Israel's destruction, was the first to fire rockets into Israel and so its Qassam moniker has become the generic term.

As a result, other militant groups feel they are not getting enough credit among the Palestinian populace for the attacks they launch against Israel.

Abu Qusai, a spokesman for the al-Aqsa group, said Hebrew letters were being painted on their rockets ''to distinguish them from those fired by other brothers'' and illustrate their commitment to ''resistance'' against Israel.

Israel has killed 21 Palestinians, mostly gunmen from Hamas, in stepped up raids over the past week against those launching rockets after several Israelis were hurt in attacks.

Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for the Hamas's armed wing, said the group had no plans to label their rockets in Hebrew.

He called it a boon for Hamas that the ''factions are running an honest and positive competition in rocket firing''.

''When everybody competes to strike the enemy, this is a victory to Hamas's agenda of Jihad (holy war) and resistance,'' Abu Ubaida said.

The Israeli army had no comment. Israel withdrew Jewish settlers and soldiers from Gaza last year after a 38-year occupation, but violence has continued between its forces and militant groups in the coastal strip.

REUTERS SAM VV2207