Israeli planes hit Gaza as Hamas are accused of stealing bombs

Wednesday, February 18. Israeli planes bombed seven Hamas smuggling tunnels on the Egypt-Gaza border in a pre-dawn raid today. The attacks came in retaliation for a mortar fired into Israel by Hamas militants.

Sporadic fighting has been breaking out in the coastal strip ever since two unilateral ceasefires were declared almost exactly one month ago. Later today the Israeli cabinet is expected to discuss the possibility of a proper lasting ceasefire based on the possible opening of border crossings into Gaza and a proposed prisoner exchange.

Earlier this week a haul of unexploded weapons - including white phosphorus shells and bombs - went missing from a Gaza City warehouse while under Hamas guard. The UN claimed that its Mines Action team had been waiting for Israel to allow specialist bomb disposal equipment into the Gaza strip so they could carry out controlled explosions of the ordnance, which included three 2000lb and eight 500lb bombs.

However the UN said that when the Mines Action team returned to the warehouse on Sunday night they found most of the high-explosives missing. According to an Israeli military spokesman, the stockpile has been "commandeered by Hamas".

FIRST POSTED FEBRUARY 18, 2009