Israel’s security cabinet approved Wednesday intensifying military assaults against Palestinian areas in the northern Gaza Strip, allegedly in response to the continuation of Palestinian home-made mortar attacks against the Israeli town of Sderot, across the northern Gaza border with Israel.

Two Israelis have been killed by mortar attacks during the past week, while Palestinian mortar fire at Sderot continued on Wednesday. Palestinian activists have reaffirmed that their attacks are carried out in response to Israel’s continuing shelling of Palestinian civilian areas since June 2006, which has claimed over 350 lives, more than half of whom are civilians (non-combatants). The latest Israeli violence claimed the lives of 20 civilians on 8 November, in the town of Beit Hanoun. The Israeli Government has downplayed the heavy civilian casualty in Beit Hanoun, and dismissed the attack as “…a targeting error.”

Meanwhile, Israeli forces killed two Palestinian activists on Wednesday in the Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahya, both believed to be affiliated with Hamas.

Under significant international scrutiny of Israel’s military aggression in the Gaza Strip in recent months, some Israeli officials are reported to be potentially interested in the deployment of international peacekeepers in order to end the ongoing cycle of violence. A possible internationally-brokered deal to end Israel’s military assaults against the Gaza Strip, some media reports have indicated, could be at an early stage of negotiation; however no further details are available.

Since June 2006, Israel has stepped up its military offensive in the Gaza Strip in response to the capture of Israeli soldier Gil’ad Shalit by Palestinian activists. However, the vast majority of Palestinians targeted and killed by Israeli forces are unarmed civilians, not engaged in armed operations against Israel.