Israeli police imposes nationwide high terror alert after Hamas’ Khaled Meshaal orders “deeds not words” in response to Beit Hanoun deaths

November 8, 2006, 10:18 PM (GMT+02:00)

The “hudna” (informal truce) ended at the end of 2005, “ said the hardline Hamas leader in Damascus. “The armed struggle is free to resume, as dictated by local conditions.” Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh said suicide attacks would resume and Palestinian unity talks were suspended.

OC Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Yoav Gallant: The artillery salvo which killed 22 Palestinian civilians in Beit Hanoun Wednesday followed an intelligence report that Palestinian missile launchers were on the point of attacking Ashkelon for the second day in a row. Gaza’s Palestinians kept up their daily Qassam attacks on Israeli civilian locations Wednesday. One of the day’s 10 missiles landed near a children’s home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Another exploded near a bank in central Sderot.

Defense minister Amir Peretz has ordered IDF artillery fire on Gaza halted and the Beit Hanoun episode investigated.

A Palestinian protester in a violent demonstration in Hebron was mortally wounded in the head by IDF fire. Unrest has spread across the West Bank as well as Gaza.

EU commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said so many civilian deaths in Gaza, including many children, is profoundly shocking. European and Arab leaders have added their voices to her condemnation of Israel.