5 Palestinians killed in missile strikes

Israeli military action against militants and their leaders unfolded late on Tuesday when three helicopter missiles crashed into the house of an Islamic Jihad commander Gaza City, killing two Palestinians. The commander escaped with minor injuries.

Israeli officials said the campaign was aimed at smashing Gaza militant factions to prevent them claiming victory should Prime Minister Ariel Sharon go ahead with a planned evacuation of Jewish settlements from the seaside territory.

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Palestinian gunmen took up positions and swore to fight to the finish, anticipating a widescale Israeli incursion into Gaza, where 7,500 Israelis live amidst 1.3 million Palestinians.

"We prepared ourselves and said farewell to our families. If they come in it will be a battle to the death," one gunman said.

In the volatile Rafah camp of southern Gaza, an Israeli helicopter fired two missiles overnight into a group of Palestinians, killing a gunman and a bystander, witnesses said.

Military sources said troops fired two missiles at two separate groups of armed Palestinians laying explosive charges intended to counter Israeli forces who frequently raid the camp, a bastion of militant factions.

Another Israeli missile launched into the camp around 3 a.m. EST killed a 17-year-old civilian, witnesses and medics said. Israeli military sources said the missile targeted a group of gunmen digging in close to its troops.

Palestinian security sources said six Israeli tanks, backed by helicopters, also pushed several hundred meters (yards) into the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, with Israeli soldiers firing machinegun rounds from positions nearby.