Israel launches fresh attacks despite Rice visit

Occupied Jerusalem: A 1-month old baby was killed following a fresh Israeli raid across the Gaza border after nightfall on Tuesday.

About 25 Israeli armored vehicles entered southern Gaza through the Kissufim crossing and clashed with militants.

Tanks fired shells, while attack helicopters fired missiles, according to Palestinian witnesses.

The baby girl was killed by a ricocheting bullet, a medical official said.

The other fatalities included a local Islamic Jihad leader. Eight militants and three civilians were wounded but not seriously.

The “pinpoint'' operation by the Israel defense was aimed at Gaza militants, and is the latest in a series of bloody confrontations along the border.

Soldiers arrested two Islamic Jihad militants and were pulling out two hours after the incursion, witnesses said.

The Israeli military confirmed that the operation was over.

In a statement, Islamic Jihad pledged to seek revenge against the attacks.

Israel said it would reoccupy Hamas-ruled Gaza if necessary. "We cannot afford this kind of extreme Islamic state controlled by Hamas," Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told foreign diplomats in a meeting, according to a ministry statement released on Tuesday.

Israel evacuated Gaza "not in order to come back, but we might find ourselves in a situation where we have no choice," Livni said.

The violence persisted even as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who arrived in the region on Tuesday, appealed to Israelis and Palestinians to resume negotiations.

"We look forward to the resumption of negotiations as soon as possible," Rice said after holding talks with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, hoping to persuade Abbas to return to the talks he cut off on Sunday.