Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - Fending off international criticism, Israel braced itself Wednesday for the possibility of revenge attacks after it launched a missile strike that killed eight Palestinians, two of whom were Hamas terrorist leaders wanted in connection with dozens of Israeli murders.
Some 100,000 Palestinians accompanied the funeral procession of the six Palestinian militants and two children killed when Israeli helicopters fired on a seven-story building in Palestinian Authority-ruled Nablus, where the northern West Bank headquarters of Hamas was located.
After the attack, Palestinian violence -- which had already been on the rise over the last few days -- erupted throughout the disputed territories. Hamas has threatened bloody reprisals.
But despite the consequences, Israel has said it will continue with its policy of "surgical strikes" against identified terrorists, as part of an effort to defend its citizens. At the same time it said the deaths of the two boys were deeply regrettable.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called the attack "one of Israel's most important successes," while Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer said it had "saved lives, possibly hundreds."
According to the army, Jamal Mansour and Jamal Salim had been responsible for planning 10 suicide bomb attacks in which 37 people were killed and hundreds were wounded. They were said to have been planning more.
Sharon's senior Foreign Policy advisor, Zalman Shoval, characterized the strike as part of Israel's policy of "active self-defense."
"There's a war going on against Israel ... The only way to try to defend ourselves is to take the bull by the horns and prevent attacks," he said in a telephone interview.
Israel may not be able to eliminate the threat, but it can act to "reduce the fierceness and magnitude of attacks" by using the means at its disposal, he said.
Shoval justified Israel's use of attack helicopters in the strike, saying had the army sent in ground troops instead it would also have been condemned for the action.
Outcry 'Hypocritical'
The attack was roundly condemned by members of the international community, including the U.S., which frequently is the only nation to back Israel's position on many issues.
"We continue to strongly oppose the Israeli policy of targeted attacks, which in this instance has led to the deaths of innocent civilians," said State Department spokesman Charles F. Hunter. "We deeply regret and strongly deplore the killing of civilians,"
White House criticism was less direct. "Violence is violence and the president has deplored the violence in the region," said spokesman Ari Fleischer.
"He has called on all parties to implement fully the terms of the Mitchell Commission recommendations, which begins with a cease-fire," he added.
The commission led by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell presented a plan for calming the situation and returning Israel and the PA to the negotiating table.
President Bush himself called on the sides to break the cycle of violence. "It is important to get to Mitchell. But the first step in getting into Mitchell is for there to be significantly reduced violence, and that's not the case right now," he said.
French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine called the attack a "dead end."
Russia's foreign ministry said that it was "evident that violence only leads to more violence, and the inadequate use of force only deepens the hostile relations between the two sides."
The U.N.'s top human rights figure, Mary Robinson said the "daily violation of the right to life" had to stop.
Shoval called the international outcry "hypocritical." Israel is fighting a war against terrorism, as many nations are, he said. No one has the "moral right" to condemn Israel for doing so.
He said the international community should apply "maximum pressure" on PA Chairman Yasser Arafat to make it clear that he will not receive "political dividends" - such as the deployment of an international observer force - for continued violence.
Arafat reiterated his demand that international troops be deployed in the disputed areas, a demand rejected by Israel. He accused Israel of trying to crush the Palestinians through a "conspiracy" of liquidating activists.
Revenge
Hamas threatened on Tuesday to send many suicide bombers to avenge the killing of its members.
The question of whether it was profitable for Israel to carry out such attacks in the face of revenge threats featured prominently in morning talk shows on Wednesday.
Shoval argued that Hamas was a primary perpetrator of terrorism against Israelis - even without provocation. To speak about revenge attacks "sounds hollow," he said.
Overnight a wave of shooting and mortar attacks occurred in the disputed territories.
Five Israelis were injured in a shooting attack on two vehicles, a Jerusalem suburb came under fire from nearby PA-controlled territory, several dozen mortar shells fell in Israeli communities in Gaza, 80 grenades were thrown at Israeli troops, and around 20 shooting incidents were reported.
A small pipe bomb was discovered in a public garden in Jerusalem on Wednesday. It exploded but did not cause any injuries or damage.
See Earlier Story:
Israel Attacks Hamas Terrorists