Israel hits Hamas targets in Gaza, factions vow truce

GAZA, May 19 (Reuters) Israel launched more air strikes against Hamas targets in Gaza today, killing at least two Palestinians, as top officials considered a broader strategy for stopping rockets being fired at Israeli towns.

The air strikes have plunged the Palestinians deeper into turmoil after nine days of fierce internal fighting verging on civil war between ruling Hamas Islamists and President Mahmoud Abbas's secular Fatah faction.

Hamas and Fatah negotiators agreed in Egyptian-brokered talks to a new ceasefire starting at 1730 IST today, though it was unclear whether the deal would hold.

''It would be a stigma if internal violence continued amid such Israeli aggression,'' Fatah leader Tawfiq Abu Khoussa said.

But minutes after the ceasefire talks concluded, the convoy of one of the Fatah negotiators came under attack from unidentified Palestinian gunmen. Mohammad al-Masri, a top Abbas intelligence official, was unharmed.

Fatah said one of its security officers was abducted by Hamas gunmen at a checkpoint today. Fighting continued overnight around the pro-Hamas Islamic University in Gaza City.

Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz said Israel had many options to try to prevent Gaza militants from firing rockets into Israel, playing down the immediate prospect of a massive ground invasion.

But Peretz added: ''I think the idea of taking over Gaza again is a decision that can be made at any time.'' The Israeli army said an air strike on Saturday hit three militants who had fired rockets into Israel from northern Gaza.

Local residents said two civilians, both shepherds, were killed and another four people were wounded.

A barrage of makeshift rockets fired from Gaza into southern Israel today caused damage but no injuries.

In early morning air strikes, the army said it destroyed two Hamas weapons depots in Gaza City. Palestinians said they were metal foundries not connected to Hamas.

Israel's bombing campaign against Hamas has killed at least 17 Palestinians since Wednesday. Local residents said the dead included at least five civilians.

At least 49 Palestinians have been killed in the last nine days of internal fighting between Hamas and Fatah.

''The two groups have begun ordering their men to implement (the new ceasefire) immediately,'' Ghazi Hamad, a spokesman for the Hamas-led government, said minutes before al-Masri's convoy came under fire.

Islam Shahwan, a spokesman for Hamas's Executive Force, said Fatah men opened fire on the convoy, not Hamas.

In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Deputy Prime Minister Azzam al-Ahmad, a Fatah leader, renewed his call for the Executive Force to be disbanded, accusing it of fuelling the internal violence.

Hamas has accused Israel of conspiring to aid Fatah in a power struggle for control of Gaza, which Israeli troops and settlers quit nearly two years ago.

Peretz said Israel hoped ''moderate forces will have the upper hand'' in the internal fighting.

''The Palestinian nation needs to understand that Hamas is leading them to disaster and bringing them to a catastrophe that they won't be able to get out of,'' Peretz told Army Radio.

Most of the dead in the factional fighting have been on the Fatah side, but US and Israeli security officials said they suspected Hamas was playing down the extent of its casualties.

In response to the intense Israeli air assault, Hamas's armed wing has threatened to resume suicide bombings in Israel. A Hamas bomber last struck in Israel in 2004.

''If they will resume suicide bombings, we will retaliate with a siege on Gaza,'' a senior Israeli official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The official said a proposal under review by top Israeli policy makers called for Israel to respond to any suicide bombings by sealing all of Gaza's crossings.

''It's very delicate. We are aware of the potential ramifications,'' the official said.

REUTERS AGL BD1935