Israeli missile attack on Gaza

Palestinian police officers collect fragments of Israeli rockets following Monday's attack

JERUSALEM -- The Israel Defense Forces launched a missile attack Monday on a factory in northern Gaza that it said produced mortar shells.

The IDF did not say how many missiles it fired overnight into Jabaliya, a Palestinian refugee camp.

The attack came early on the day the Mitchell Committee report into the causes of eight months of Israeli-Palestinian violence is due to be released.

Palestinian officials said civilian targets were hit but no casualties were reported.

According to Palestinian witnesses, the factory made spare parts for cars.

The Israeli army said combat helicopters were used to hit one of a number of installations which it said produced mortar shells to fire at Israeli settlements and villages in Gaza and Israel.

Since the beginning of the intifada last year, the IDF said, 160 mortar shells have been fired at Israeli targets, both military and civilian, and one soldier and 12 civilians have been wounded as a result.

ON THE NEWS Mike Hanna: Searching for solutions in the Mideast    VIDEO CNN's Ben Wedeman reports Arab anger toward Israel has spread from the streets into halls of government (May 20) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) CNN's Sheila MacVicar reports on fighting between Israelis and Palestinians (May 19) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Israeli's attack palestinian targets in West Bank and Gaza (May 19) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)    AUDIO CNN's Mike Hanna: Implementation of Mitchell's report is difficult 843K/78 sec. AIFF or WAV sound EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana: We need an unconditional cessation of violence 550K/51 sec. AIFF or WAV sound CNN's Ben Wedeman: Arab countries try to increase U.S. involvement 493K/46 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Kofi Annan: 'Disproportionate' Israeli response 399K/37 sec. AIFF or WAV sound George W. Bush: We must break the cycle of violence 239K/22 sec. AIFF or WAV sound    GALLERY Scenes of violence and grief    ALSO Palestinian security chief's house hit by tank shells Arab League ministers urge suspending political contact with Israel U.S. wants to see 'specific language' of Arab League document

There had been international criticism over the use of U.S.-made F-16 jets to strike Palestinian targets on Friday after a Palestinian suicide bomber killed five Israelis amid spiraling violence in the region.

Report calls for end to violence

The Mitchell Committee, led by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, has been charged with investigating causes and possible solutions to the conflict.

A preliminary report by the five-man international committee was presented to both the Israelis and Palestinians earlier this month and written responses from both sides will be included in the final report released Monday.

The report, which has been widely leaked, calls for an immediate end to the violence and recommends a building freeze in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza.

European Union international policy chief Javier Solana, who was one of the authors, told CNN that he hoped the international community would with "one-voice" back what was a "roadmap to get out of this situation of violence."

Solana, who is on a four-day tour of the region, meeting the leaders of Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Israel, said the current situation was "unbearable."

The European Union backed every recommendation in the report and called for an immediate cessation to the violence, followed by measures to build confidence between the parties, Solana added.

United States Vice President Dick Cheney expressed optimism that the report would provide a way to proceed with the peace process.

Some in the U.S., including House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, and Dennis Ross, a former Middle East envoy in the Clinton administration, have been urging the White House to become more involved in the region, but Cheney said the administration was already actively involved.

Aides said U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell had spoken by telephone to European Union and Swedish officials, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher, and British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook over the weekend and may meet with either Sharon or Arafat as part of an upcoming visit he is making to Africa and Europe.

Rocket attack injures five

Monday's early-morning missile attack came less than a day after Israeli tank shells hit the house of a Palestinian security chief in the West Bank.

Five bodyguards of Col. Gibril Rajoub were moderately wounded in Sunday evening's tank attack, according to the Palestinian Media Center.

The IDF said the shelling was a reaction to an exchange of fire at Ayosh Junction north of Ramallah, a common flashpoint for both sides.

In a statement, the IDF said there was no intention to hurt Rajoub.

But this was disputed by the Palestinian Authority, with a statement condemning "this very well pre-planned and premeditated attempt against the lives of not only Col. Rajoub but in fact against other members of his family."