Thousands Rally in Gaza

Massive crowds demonstrated in Gaza today, condemning the Annapolis conference and chanting "Death to America!" Hamas leaders told tens of thousands of supporters that the peace summit was "doomed to failure" and vowed that "whoever thinks we will recognize a Jewish state are deluding themselves." A smaller, West Bank protest was scuttled by police, who killed one, the BBC reports.

Earlier, Israeli helicopters gunned down two Hamas members in Northern Gaza as they approached the border. Israeli troops also killed a Palestinian who they said was crawling in a "suspicious manner" toward a Southern Gaza crossing. Israel has recently escalated strikes against militants for firing rockets into Israel, and killed four in Gaza yesterday. (More Gaza stories.)