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Eight dead in Israeli operation 'targeting Hamas commander' in Gaza Eight dead in undercover Israeli operation in Gaza
(about 1 hour later)
Israeli forces have killed seven Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in airstrikes and an undercover raid that Hamas said targeted one of its commanders and the Israeli military said left one of its officers dead. Israeli forces have killed seven Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in an apparently botched undercover raid and ensuing firefight that has threatened to destroy a precarious, unofficial ceasefire.
The Israeli incursion and air attacks drew rocket fire from the Hamas-controlled enclave, with sirens sounding in Israeli communities along the border. The military said its defences intercepted two of the launches. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage on the Israeli side of the frontier. An Israeli lieutenant colonel was killed and another officer wounded in the operation on Sunday night in southeast Gaza, the first-known ground incursion there by Israeli forces since the last war in 2014.
The violence prompted the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to cut short a visit to Paris, where he had been gathering with world leaders for a first world war commemoration. In apparent response to the gunfight, more than a dozen rockets were launched from the Hamas-controlled enclave overnight, and the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, cut short a visit to Paris, where he had been gathering with world leaders for a first world war commemoration.
Hamas said the incident began when assailants in a passing car opened fire on a group of its armed men, killing one of its commanders. Hamas gunmen gave chase as the car sped back towards the border with Israel, Hamas said in a statement. Bomb sirens sounded in Israeli communities along the frontier and the military said its anti-air defences had intercepted three of the rockets. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage in Israel.
During the pursuit, Israeli aircraft fired more than 40 missiles in the area, according to witnesses. Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, released a statement overnight claiming Israeli forces “infiltrated this evening in a civilian car” and opened fire on a group of its armed men near the city of Khan Younis, killing one of its commanders. Its fighters gave chase as thevehicle sped back towards the frontier,it said.
Medics and Hamas officials said at least seven people were killed, four of them militants, including the Hamas commander Nour Baraka. It was unclear if the other fatalities included gunmen. During the pursuit, Israeli aircraft “carried out bombardments to cover the withdrawal of this force”, it added.
The Israeli military said in a statement: “During an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) Special Forces operational activity in the Gaza Strip, an exchange of fire evolved.” Medics and Hamas officials said at least seven people were killed, four of them militants, including the Hamas commander Nour Baraka.
One officer was killed and a second was wounded, it said. Israel had largely abandoned its tactic of targeting senior Hamas officials in recent years. Its military said in a short statement: “During an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) Special Forces operational activity in the Gaza Strip, an exchange of fire evolved.”
A return by Israel to a policy of targeting individual Hamas commanders – tactics largely abandoned in recent years – could raise tensions along the border significantly. One officer was killed and a second was wounded, it said, without detailing the reason for the mission.
Violence has flared frequently on the frontier since Palestinians began weekly protests on 20 March. Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations have been trying to broker a long-term ceasefire. Israeli media reported the operation had been to gather intelligence. The public radio station Kan reported IDF special forces had their cover blown as a result of a technical malfunction, and became pinned down.
The incident threatens an unofficial ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Last week, Israel, which blockades the 140sq mile area, allowed shipments of fuel into the strip to supply electricity plants and reduce crippling power cuts. It also permitted Qatar to deliver $15m (£12m) in aid as backpay for thousands of unpaid civil servants.
Violence has flared frequently on the frontier since Palestinians began weekly protests in March. Israel responded to the movement with lethal fire, killing about 170 demonstrators and injuring thousands more.
Bloodshed has continued for seven months, with Hamas and Israel fighting an on-off war of airstrikes and rockets. Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations have been working to broker a long-term ceasefire.
Netanyahu’s cabinet, dominated by hawkish politicians from rival factions, has been bitterly divided on what policy to implement in Gaza, even as Israeli military commanders have warned against escalations.
GazaGaza
Palestinian territoriesPalestinian territories
Middle East and North AfricaMiddle East and North Africa
IsraelIsrael
Benjamin NetanyahuBenjamin Netanyahu
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