ISRAEL IS PREPARING TO FURTHER STEP UP ITS OFFENSIVE IN THE GAZA STRIP AND SEND IN LARGER NUMBERS OF TROOPS, ISRAEL ARMY RADIO REPORTED MONDAY QUOTING SENIOR MILITARY SOURCES. THE REINFORCEMENTS ARE TO JOIN IN THE EFFORT TO STOP THE FIRING OF GAZA-PRODUCED QASSAM ROCKETS INTO ISRAEL BY PALESTINIAN FIGHTERS, THE RADIO SAID. MEANWHILE, DPA NEWS AGENCY SAID ISRAEL ALSO RENEWED ITS AIRSTRIKES OVERNIGHT, STRIKING AT THREE TARGETS. AN ISRAELI HELICOPTER FIRED A MISSILE AT A GROUP OF PALESTINIAN FIGHTERS IN NORTHERN GAZA BEFORE DAWN MONDAY, KILLING ONE. THE ISRAELI MILITARY SAID THE FIGHTERS WERE PREPARING TO FIRE QASSAM ROCKETS INTO ISRAEL. AT AROUND MIDNIGHT, HELICOPTERS ALSO ROCKETED AN UNINHABITED BUILDING IN GAZA CITY, USED BY THE ISLAMIC JIHAD FACTIONS AS AN ARMS STORE. ON SUNDAY EVENING, AN ISRAELI AIRCRAFT ALSO FIRED TWO MISSILES AT A CAR CARRYING HAMAS FIGHTERS AND LOADED WITH EXPLOSIVES IN NORTHERN GAZA CITY. THE FIGHTERS ESCAPED WHEN THE FIRST MISSILE MISSED, BUT THE SECOND MISSILE TRIGGERED A HUGE EXPLOSION, INJURING SIX CIVILIANS INCLUDING A 65-YEAR-OLD MAN AND A 6-YEAR-OLD GIRL, WITNESSES AND SECURITY OFFICIALS SAID. ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER EHUD OLMERT, MEANWHILE, WAS FACING GROWING INTERNAL CRITICISM AGAINST THE OFFENSIVE, LAUNCHED AFTER THE JUNE 25 ABDUCTION OF ISRAELI SOLDIER GILAD SHALIT AND IN WHICH MORE THAN 50 PALESTINIANS AND ONE ISRAELI SOLDIER HAVE BEEN KILLED. LABOUR MINISTER ELI YISHAI, OF THE ULTRA-ORTHODOX SHAS PARTY, SAID HE OPPOSED THE ENTRY OF GROUND TROOPS INTO GAZA, WHICH HE SAID UNNECESSARILY ENDANGERED THE TROOPS. "IT'S BETTER TO ACT IN DIFFERENT WAYS AND AVOID HARM TO OUR SOLDIERS. A VILLAGE FROM WHICH QASSAM ROCKETS ARE FIRED, SUCH A VILLAGE SHOULD BE ERASED, BUT WE SHOULD NOT RISK OUR SOLDIERS," HE TOLD ARMY RADIO.
