Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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May 20, 2007

Israel Launches Sixth Day of Air Strikes on Gaza
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=178BFF7:A6F02AD83191E160664423B4DC04C8D79574F7DCC14957C0 The air strikes
coincided with a fragile truce between Hamas and the rival Palestinian
Fatah faction





Palestinian youths gather in the rubble of a building hit in an
Israeli missile strike south of Gaza City, Sunday, 20 May 2007Israel
has launched a sixth day of air strikes on Palestinian militants in
the Gaza Strip.  At the same time, fighting between rival Palestinian
factions has ebbed.  Robert Berger reports from the VOA bureau in
Jerusalem.

Israeli aircraft fired missiles at a car carrying members of the
Islamic militant group Hamas in Gaza.  The military said a massive
explosion indicated that the vehicle was loaded with weapons.  The
army said it also targeted two rocket factories used by Hamas and the
Islamic Jihad.

The air strikes are retaliation for Palestinian rocket attacks that
have terrorized the Israeli border town of Sderot.  Many residents
have left and those who remain are angry.

They accused the government of failing to act decisively to stop the
rocket attacks.

At the weekly Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said 120
Palestinian rockets have been fired at Israel since Wednesday.  And he
threatened tougher action.

"If the diplomatic and military efforts we have taken do not bring
calm, we will have to escalate our response," Olmert said.

The air strikes coincided with a fragile truce between Hamas and the
rival Palestinian Fatah faction.  Gun battles on the streets of Gaza
have left about 50 Palestinians dead during the past 10 days. 

But after five previous ceasefires quickly collapsed, this one appears
to be taking hold.  Gunmen scaled back their presence on rooftops and
at roadblocks, and battle weary residents ventured out of their homes
to stock up on supplies.

This Palestinian is fed up with both Hamas and Fatah. "We have
suffered too much and we do not need any more suffering."

Hamas said it believes this cease-fire will hold because it would be
improper for the Palestinians to fight each other while Israel is
bombing Gaza. 




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