Israel guards beaches against floating bombs

Israel today cordoned off 25 miles of beaches north of the Gaza Strip after two barrels carrying bombs washed up on the shore.

A bomb squad defused one barrel and the explosives in the second blew up while a robot was inspecting them. There were no injuries. Palestinian militants claimed responsibility for the failed attack.

Israeli police said the two barrels, each containing 22lb of explosives, washed up on Israel's shores late yesterday in the port city of Ashkelon and in Ashdod to the north.

"The attack was an intended terrorist attack that failed," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. "Police assessed the security situation and continue to keep the beaches closed."

Tensions heightened between Israel and Palestine after the death last month of a Hamas commander in Dubai. While Israel has not commented on the killing, Gaza's Hamas rulers blamed the Jewish state.

Maritime authorities warned sailors, surfers and fishermen to be alert to possible dangers in the waters. Meir Chakmon, a police spokesman in Ashkelon, said: "We are continuing the search. We think there is a possibility that new explosive devices will surface. We don't know how many are in the sea."

Three militant factions in Gaza took responsibility for the attack, saying in a joint statement that they sent eight explosives to Ashkelon and detonated them by remote control. Hamas was not among the factions to sign the statement, although one, the Popular Resistance Committees, has close ties with the group.