GAZA CITY (AP):

Leaders of Gaza's ruling Hamas movement were in hiding, yesterday, turning off their cellphones, avoiding public appearances and sleeping in safe houses, after Israel threatened to assassinate those sending Palestinian rocket squads to fire on border towns.

Israel turned up the heat on Hamas when Defence Minister Ehud Barak threatened to bring down the Hamas regime and ordered plans for a large ground invasion of Gaza.

But he said troops would not move soon, all but admitting that Israel has no quick answer for the rocket barrages - leaving his threats as mostly verbal pressure.