Hamas declared open war on Israel yesterday, pledging to renew suicide bombings after Israeli leaders vowed to kill senior politicians from the militant movement, including Ismail Haniya, the Palestinian Prime Minister.

The tough rhetoric from both sides threatened to touch off a new war in the Middle East as Israel continued to pound Gaza in retaliation for Palestinian rocket attacks on its southern border towns, killing at least five Palestinians.

Last night, those rockets claimed their first fatality since November: an Israeli woman died in the town of Sderot when her car was struck by a rocket and burst into flames.

The attack coincided with a meeting in the town between Javier Solana, the European Union foreign policy chief, and Tzipi Livni, the Israeli Foreign Minister, though neither official was hurt.

David Baker, an Israeli spokesman, vowed that “Israel would not tolerate this type of terror” and gave warning of harsh reprisals.

Hamas politicians called on Palestinians to retaliate “using any means necessary”. Fathi Hamad, a Hamas member of parliament from Gaza, said: “It is every Palestinian’s duty to seek vengeance. Kill the occupiers. Murder them with suicide bombings or bullets. It does not matter how.”

Israeli politicians said that they would no longer differentiate between elected Hamas members of the Palestinian parliament and its militant leaders. “None of them are immune,” said Danny Yatom, who sits on the Israeli security cabinet. “Hamas has one political and military leadership. They act as a unified body and will be targeted as such.”

Khaled Meshaal, the Hamas leader-in-exile who lives in Damascus, was listed as Israel’s No 1 target. Mohammed Dief, Israel’s most-wanted man, was also cited alongside politicians such as Mr Haniya.

A Sunday-night strike on the home of Khalil al-Haya, a Hamas politician with militant ties, killed eight people, including six civilians. Mr al-Haya was not at home and Israeli officials said that the attack targeted militants, not him. The threat of further attacks drove dozens of Hamas politicians into hiding.

Almost 40 Palestinians have been killed since Wednesday, when Israel began its bombing campaign in response to Palestinian rocket attacks on its southern border towns. Yesterday its missiles struck a car carrying four militants from Islamic Jihad, killing all of them. Another airstrike killed a Hamas militant at a weapons warehouse, Israel said. Palestinians said that it was a stone-mason’s workshop.

The attacks have failed to stem rocket fire, with at least 18 shells landing in southern Israel yesterday. The Prime Minister’s office said that if the military operation did not stop it, the security cabinet would consider “more drastic steps”.

Observers in Gaza said that the Israeli assault galvanized feuding Palestinian factions against a common enemy.

Speaking to supporters yesterday, Mr Haniya appealed for unity against Israel.

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