Israeli missiles hit Gaza

Israel has carried out an air strike on the main power station in the Gaza Strip, triggering a fire and plunging Gaza City into darkness, witnesses said.

The overnight attack came after Israeli missiles hit three bridges in the centre of the territory, where Israeli tanks and troops have closed in following the capture of an Israeli soldier in a Palestinian attack on Sunday.

Palestinian witnesses reported the strikes on Tuesday, after Ehud Olmert, Israel’s prime minister, approved a “limited operation” in the south of Gaza.

Military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the operation was aimed at “terrorist infrastructure”.

Palestinian security forces said Israeli tanks were on the move near the village of Nahal Oz, but they had not yet entered the territory.

The operation could signal the start of a major Israeli incursion into the territory to recover 19 year-old Corporal Gilad Shalit who was captured on Sunday.

Tensions have been high ever since with large numbers of Israeli troops deployed to the border and on Monday Olmert promisied a punitive strike if Shalit was not freed.

One of the bridges hit by the airstrikes was in central Gaza, another near the town of Deir al-Balah and the third south of Gaza City, the Israeli military and Palestinian security officials said. There were no reports of casualties.

Failed talks

An Israeli military statement said the aim of attacking the bridges was “to impair the ability of the terrorists to transfer the kidnapped soldier”.

Palestinian security officials said Gaza would be cut in two by hitting the bridges.

Negotiations to secure Shalit’s release appeared to have failed when the Israeli television station, Channel Two, quoted a source close to Egyptian and French-led mediators saying there was “zero chance” of recovering the soldier through talks.

But one mediator speaking anonymously said it was too early to call it quits and that “it will be a few hours yet until we know it is hopeless.”

Agencies