Palestinians appeal to U.S. after Israeli attack

updated 11:23 a.m. ET April 4, 2006

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Officials of the Palestinian Authority appealed to the United States and Western European nations for help after Israel fired three missiles into the compound of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

The Tuesday attacks wounded two people and left deep craters in the ground. Abbas was not there at the time.

As he asked for U.S. involvement, Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh said the attacks will result in “more violence and instability.”

The airstrike was in response to Palestinian rocket attacks on southern Israel. The Israeli missiles landed on an abandoned helicopter landing pad, about 100 yards from Abbas’ office.

Abbas has been a strong critic of rocket fire, and has urged the new Hamas Cabinet to accept peace with Israel.

The Hamas-controlled interior ministry, which oversees some of the Palestinian security forces, condemned the Israeli “aggression” and threatened to retaliate.

“For every action, there’s a reaction,” ministry spokesman Khaled Abu Hilal said. “The occupation must understand that our people have the ability to be steadfast in confronting acts of occupation.”

The missiles landed at Ansar 2, a mostly abandone compound formerly used by Palestinian security forces to store equipment. During five years of fighting, Israel repeatedly attacked the site, most recently in 2004.

Militants fired four homemade projectiles into Israel earlier Tuesday. There were no reports of injuries.

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