Hamas tells people of Gaza to expect surprises

Militants defied a major Israeli bombing campaign across Gaza on Thursday, firing off volleys of rockets which killed three Israelis and sparked panic in Tel Aviv. As warning sirens went off in Israel's biggest city, it is alleged that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has gone into a bomb shelter. However Palestinian deaths from relentless air strikes continue to rise as fresh Israeli air strikes occur. Furthermore, Defence Minister Ehud Barak has given the go-ahead for 30,000 reservists to be called up, with the army saying it was "in the process of expanding the campaign." Hamas, on the other hand, has told the people of Gaza to expect surprises as a fired missile directly targeted an Israeli plane. In a surprise move, Egypt announced that Prime Minister Hisham Qandil would visit Gaza on Friday, as Washington urged Cairo to use its influence to try to halt the violence. The violence, as Israel heads towards a January general election, sparked deep concern internationally and prompted an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. Israel's offensive prompted an outpouring of anger across the Arab and Muslim world, with Tehran accusing the Jewish state of "organised terrorism" and Qatar's premier saying the strikes "must not pass unpunished." But Middle East envoy Tony Blair urged Hamas to stop targeting Israeli towns, warning that "the retaliation will increase." And the White House said there was "no justification" for rocket attacks on Israel, blaming Hamas for the explosion of violence.