By Joseph Nasr and Adam Entous
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A senior Israeli defence officialsaid on Friday that Palestinians firing rockets from theHamas-controlled Gaza Strip would bring upon themselves what hetermed a "shoah", the Hebrew word for holocaust or disaster.
The word is rarely used in Israel outside discussions ofthe Nazi Holocaust of Jews. Many Israelis are loath tocountenance its use to describe other contemporary events.Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the Palestinians faced "newNazis".
Israeli air strikes have killed at least 33 Gazans,including five children, in the past two days. The army, whichcarried out additional air strikes on Friday, said most ofthose killed were militants.
Israeli leaders said cross-border rocket fire may leavethem no choice but to launch a broader military offensiveagainst Hamas, which seized Gaza in June after routing forcesloyal to Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
One Israeli was killed in a rocket attack on Wednesday inthe southern border town of Sderot. Hamas raised the stakes byusing Soviet-designed Grad missiles, more powerful and accuratethan improvised Gazan Qassams, to strike deep into the largercity of Ashkelon, home to 120,000 people.
Visiting Ashkelon, Defence Minister Ehud Barak told Channel10 television an Israeli response was required and that "Hamasbears responsibility for this deterioration and it will alsobear the results".
Deputy Defence Minister Matan Vilnai told Army Radioearlier that "the more Qassam (rocket) fire intensifies and therockets reach a longer range, they (the Palestinians) willbring upon themselves a bigger 'shoah' because we will use allour might to defend ourselves."
Vilnai's spokesman said: "Mr. Vilnai was meaning'disaster'. He did not mean to make any allusion to thegenocide."
Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Arye Mekel, said:"Deputy Defence Minister Matan Vilnai used the Hebrew phrasethat included the term 'shoah' in Hebrew in the sense of adisaster or a catastrophe, and not in the sense of aholocaust."
MAJOR OPERATION
Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas's prime minister in the Gaza Strip,said: "This is a proof of Israel's pre-planned aggressiveintentions against our people. They want the world to condemnwhat they call the Holocaust and now they are threatening ourpeople with a holocaust".
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has so far been wary oflaunching a major ground offensive, which could incur heavycasualties and derail U.S.-backed peace talks with Abbas. Butdomestic pressure is growing.
Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said, Barak sought toprepare the way for an offensive by sending confidentialmessages to world leaders, including U.S. Secretary of StateCondoleezza Rice, who will visit the region next week.
"Israel is not keen on and rushing for an offensive, butHamas is leaving us no choice," Barak told them, Yedioth said.
Rice has expressed concern about Palestinian civilianskilled by Israeli attacks in Gaza, but has stopped short ofcalling for Israeli restraint. Officials say she will makeclear U.S. support for Israel's right to defend itself.
Security sources were quoted by Israel Radio and Army Radioas saying that a major operation was being prepared but was notyet imminent.
The U.S. State Department urged Israel to "consider theconsequences" of any action and Middle East envoy Tony Blairsaid everything must be done to avoid creating "even morevictims of the situation created in Gaza".
Abbas, who remains deeply hostile to Hamas, called Israel'sthreats and preparations to target Gaza "dangerous".
"(Abbas) demands that Israel halt its attack and demandsthat all factions adhere to immediate calm and to stop thefiring of rockets," his office said in a statement.
Israel pulled troops and settlers out of the Gaza Strip in2005 but still maintains control of the territory's air space,coastal waters and major border crossings.
(Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza and WafaAmr in Ramallah; Writing by Adam Entous and Joseph Nasr;Editing by Jon Boyle)
