Gaza Strip tension mounts

Israel has threatened to increase military action against the Gaza Strip in response to Palestinian attacks.

At least 32 Palestinians, including five children, have been killed in Israeli air strikes on the coastal territory in the past two days.

Israel said it was responding to rocket fire by Gaza militants, which killed one Israeli in the southern border town of Sderot on Wednesday.

Deputy Israeli Defence Minister Matan Vilnai warned that the Palestinians would bring on themselves what he called a "bigger holocaust" by stepping up rocket attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip.

"The more Qassam (rocket) fire intensifies and the rockets reach a longer range, they (the Palestinians) will bring upon themselves a bigger holocaust because we will use all our might to defend ourselves," Mr Vilnai said.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has so far been wary of launching a major ground offensive, which could incur heavy casualties and derail US-backed peace talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. But domestic pressure is growing.

Security sources have been reported as saying that a major operation against the Hamas Islamists who control the coastal territory was being prepared, but was not yet imminent.

Defence Minister Ehud Barak sought to prepare the way for an offensive by sending confidential messages to world leaders, including US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who plans to visit the region next week.

"Israel is not keen on and rushing for an offensive, but Hamas is leaving us no choice," Mr Barak said.

Israel pulled its troops and settlers out of the Gaza Strip in 2005 but still maintains control of the territory's air space, coastal waters and major border crossings.

Shunned by the West for refusing to renounce violence after beating Abbas's Fatah faction in a parliamentary election two years ago, Hamas says it would cease fire if Israel stopped its military operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Hamas is also demanding an end to the Israeli-led blockade that has cut supplies to the territory's 1.5 million people.

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