A top Hamas resistant man survived an Israeli helicopter missile attack in Gaza, an Israeli cabinet minister said Friday, confirming Palestinian reports Mohammad Deif was wounded but alive. The strike in a crowded civilian area Thursday killed two other members of the Islamic organization and wounded more than 25 people, reviving international criticism of what Israel calls a policy of self-defense against resistant attacks. Palestinian hospital officials said 15 of the 27 people injured in the attack were under the age of 18.

Three small children were among the wounded.

Hamas vowed more resistant bombings in Israel, raising the specter of a sharp rise in violence at a time when the Washington wants to keep Israeli-Palestinian tensions low ahead of a possible U.S. military assault on Iraq.

"The reports I received from our people were that (Deif) was indeed injured but did not suffer a life-threatening injury," Science Minister Matan Vilnai, a member of Israel's security cabinet, told Israeli Occupation army Radio.

Deif is the commander of the armed wing of Hamas, which has killed dozens of Israelis in resistant bombings during the two-year-old uprising for independence.

Hamas said the shadowy Deif, who has dodged capture or elimination by Israel on several occasions, was in a car hit by missiles fired by an Israeli helicopter in Gaza City, but suffered only moderate wounds.

The helicopter strike occurred as Israel defended its week-long siege of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat headquarters against world criticism, saying it was intended to prevent an increase in Palestinian violence planned in anticipation of U.S. military action against Baghdad.

Washington has called the siege of Arafat's compound "unhelpful" to efforts to persuade the Palestinian president to carry out security and anti-corruption reforms key to defusing the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and resuming peace talks.

ANNAN CRITICIZES HELICOPTER STRIKE

Condemning the Gaza City attack, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan was quoted by his spokesman as calling on Israel "to halt such actions and conduct itself in a manner that is fully consistent with international humanitarian law."

Israel accuses Deif of masterminding a rash of bombings in 1996 in retaliation for its killing of the group's master bombmaker Yahya Ayyash with a booby-trapped cellular phone that blew up in his hand.

At least 70 Israelis died in those bomb attacks.

"Deif has constantly initiated and led attacks against Israel," Vilnai said.

Israel denies trying to harm civilians in occupation army operations against a Palestinian uprising. Since the start of the uprising, its forces -- aided by informers -- have traced and killed dozens of resistant mans alleged to have attacked its citizens.

Palestinians brand such Israeli operations state-sponsored assassination.
Early Friday, an Israeli armored force raided the central Gaza Strip town of Deir al-Balah and detained three suspected resistant mans, security sources said.

The Israeli occupation army has mounted similar incursions into Palestinian-ruled areas of the Gaza Strip over the past several weeks.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had said this week Israeli forces would eventually mount an assault in the Gaza Strip aimed at ending Hamas's operational capabilities.

At least 1,569 Palestinians and 601 Israelis have been killed since the uprising erupted after talks on a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip collapsed.

PHOTO CAPTION

Palestinians carry the body of Mhamad Yahmoor, 21, a Hamas member killed by Israeli occupation troops, during his funeral in the Gaza Strip Sept. 27, 2002. Israel said on Friday that a Hamas " Resistant man " who tops its most-wanted list survived a helicopter attack on his car in Gaza City, a strike that revived criticism of tactics Israel says are necessary to stop suicide bombings. (Loay Abu Haykel/Reuters)