Helicopters in the sky 'mean death is close'

Seat belts and door locks are car safety features that can prove fatal to Palestinian militants on Israel's most-wanted list.

As Hamas official Abdel-Aziz Al Rantissi showed on Tuesday, quick moves are key to surviving helicopter-fired missiles – favo-ured weapons in Israel's track-and-kill operations against leaders of a 32-month-old Palest-inian uprising for independence.

Two Hellfire missiles slammed into the front of Rantissi's four-wheel-drive vehicle in Gaza City, but he and his son managed to bail out before another three struck, wounding them. Ran-tissi's aide was killed, as was a woman bystander.

Mohammed Deif, accused by Israel of masterminding Hamas suicide bombings, survived a similar strike last September.

"As we drive, we are always ready to jump out at the slightest notice," one militant explained yesterday. Besides keeping seat belts unbuckled and doors unlocked, they often keep their travel routes secret and even use decoy vehicles in an attempt to fool Israel's vast network of informants in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Israel opts for its U.S.-made Apache and Cobra helicopters in built-up areas where inserting ground troops is too risky. But unlike warplanes, the helicopters are easily spotted as they hover low, their pilots taking aim at the target. "The minute we see them, we await explosions. Helicopters in the sky means death is close," said motorist Sami Ali.

At the buzz of rotors in the skies, Palestinians warn one another over mobile phones, hand-held radios and even small private radio stations.

"We put up a lot of helicopters so that they (militants) keep on running even when we do not intend to attack," Avihu bin Nun, a former air force commander, told Israel Radio. The Hellfires are used because their precision guidance system.