Israeli helicopter gunships fired on the bases of Palestinian leader Mr Yasser Ararat's elite Force 17 guard for the second time this week, rendering the bases mere ghost towns.
On first sight, Force 17's prison-like training centre south of Gaza City appeared to be functioning normally.
Yet closer inspection revealed the entry - aimed at containing access - is not closed, with no-one monitoring movements. One of the buildings targeted took three large hits from rocket fire.
"Israeli armoured vehicles fired on the centre, so no-one comes," said a resident living mere steps away.
The same perception lingers around Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip, home to another Force 17 base.
Staff at the headquarters of Force 17 in Gaza are more on guard than ever, after the Al-Ansar military camp was hit by Israeli helicopters for the second time in less than a week.
The death toll continued to rise today in the West Bank with the killing of a member of the militant Islamic Jihad group in the town of Jenin. He died when a booby-trapped public telephone blew up while he was using it, security officials said today.
Palestinian officials have accused Israel of killing at least 20 activists since the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation began in September.
Israel denies it has a policy of assassinations but says it targets Palestinian militants behind attacks on Israelis.
This morning the Palestinians claimed Israeli troops in Gaza fired at a convoy carrying the top three Palestinian security chiefs as they were returning from talks with Israeli officials on ending months of violence.
Palestinians said the Israeli soldiers deliberately targeted the cars but an Israeli military official said the soldiers at the Erez border crossing thought shooting they could hear was coming from the convoy.
AFP &