'Israel set for huge attack on Gaza'

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 00:46:17 GMT     |     PressTV

Israel is preparing to launch a 'huge' attack on the Gaza Strip after killing hundreds of Palestinians in its recent onslaught, reports say.

"The Israeli army is preparing to carry out a huge and harsh attack at any moment," the Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported on Friday, quoting Israeli news sources.

Last Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert vowed a 'painful response' to the homemade projectiles that Israel failed to stop despite its 23-day war on the Gaza Strip.

Blaming the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas for the attacks that are fired by a variety of Palestinian armed factions, Israel pounded the densely-populated coastal sliver from Dec. 27 to Jan. 18 using depleted uranium and white phosphorous bombs.

The Israeli assault killed 1,330 Palestinians and wounded 5,450 others -- a large number of them women and children.

The Friday threats come after the outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said last week that the rockets 'will be answered with a painful, harsh, strong and uncompromising response from the security forces'.