Obama Mid East envoy heads to West Bank amid violence

America's new Middle East envoy was desperately seeking to prop up a fragile Gaza ceasefire and restart peace talks as Palestinians fired rockets at Israel who retaliated by sending in warplanes to pound Hamas positions.

The continuing exchanges made the 10-day old ceasefire shaky and Israeli leaders warned that Tel-Aviv would react strongly to any violation of the truce.

George Mitchell, the US envoy after air-dashing to Egypt and Israel was preparing to meet Western backed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday in Ramallah to salvage the peace process.
 
But the flare up in Gaza was hampering his efforts as Palestinians fired a rocket early today into Israel and residence of the South Gaza town of Khan Younis said that an Israeli airstrike wounded a policeman and five passer-by, among them some children.

The fresh Israeli attacks came after their warplanes struck Gaza's smuggling tunnels and a weapons factory last night.

After talks with Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, Mitchell said efforts were on to "extend and consolidate" the truce. He said a longer term truce should be based on "an end to smuggling and re-opening of crossings."

The flareup in Gaza will undermine the informal ceasefire that Hamas and Israel separately declared on January 18. The 22-day old offensive that began on December 27 last year, had claimed lives of more than 1300 Palestinians.
      
A Qassam rocket fired by Palestinian militants exploded in the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council area of southern Israel on Thursday, causing no casualties or damage.

The Israel Air Force last night struck a weapons manufacturing facility in the southern Gaza Strip area of Rafah, hours after the first Qassam rocket fired by Gaza militants hit the Eshkol region in the western Negev.
     
The rocket attack yesterday was the first to hit Israel since a fragile ceasefire went into effect nearly two weeks ago, ending Israel's 22 day offensive on the Hamas ruled coastal enclave.
 
Barak cancelled a planned trip to Washington this week to deal with the crisis, defence officials said.

Eshkol Regional Council head, Haim Yalin, said that he anticipated a harsh response from Israel to the renewed firing from the Gaza Strip.

"We expect Israel's government not to be dragged into a policy of restraint, and we expect a forceful response to preserve the security of the residents of the Gaza envelope," Yalin said.

Mitchell told Israeli officials that the new administration was committed to Israel's security, to the 'road map' plan for peace, and to the 2004 letter by president George W Bush stating Palestinian refugees would not return to Israel and the border between Israel and the Palestinian Authority would take into consideration facts on the ground, meaning large settlement blocs would remain in Israeli hands, Ynetnews reported.

Olmert also told Mitchell that opening the Gaza crossings was a decision tied with any progress made in kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit's case.

The Israeli premier stressed that until actual headway is made regarding Shalit's release, the crossings would remain open for humanitarian aid transports only.

Mitchell re-iterated US president Barak Obama's statements that Washington is committed to the security of Israel and will make good on its pledge to establish two states for two nations.
 
The new US envoy told reporters that his meeting with the prime minister focused on the crucial need to solidify the armistice in the Strip, including halting all terror attacks and arms smugglings, and the opening of the crossings in accordance to the agreement reached in 2005.

On his first trip to the region since assuming charge, the US envoy has said that he is here to "listen" to people and not to offer "solutions".