Gaza City, May 15: Dozens of Israeli tanks rolled into northern Gaza early today, entering Palestinian territory in the region of the town of Beit Hanoun, witnesses said, in one of the largest operations in recent months. The Israeli military would say only that an operation was in progress in the area. Military sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the goal was to stop the firing of homemade rockets from the area.
The operation came as Israeli and Palestinian officials planned for a meeting between their Prime Ministers, the first summit in nearly three years, set for Saturday night. On the agenda is an international peace plan called the ''road map,'' a three-year, three-stage blueprint beginning with a halt to 31 months of mid east violence and leading to creation of a Palestinian state.
Witnesses said about 70 armored vehicles were involved in the incursion, concentrating on Beit Hanoun, a town in the northeast corner of Gaza, closest to Israel. Israeli forces destroyed a house belonging to a Hamas militant and surrounded 10 other houses, ordering residents to leave, witnesses said. Hamas has claimed responsibility for most of the rocket attacks.
Israeli tanks also moved to surround the nearby town of Beit Lahiya and the Jabaliya refugee camp between Beit Lahiya and Gaza City. Israel cut off the supply of electricity to the area, they said. Bureau Report