Gaza – Israel killed the military commander of Hamas in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip Wednesday, bringing the two sides to the brink of a possible new war.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
The attack came despite signs that Egypt had managed to broker a truce between Israel and Palestinian militants after a five day surge of violence which saw more than 100 missiles fired out of Gaza and repeated Israeli strikes on the enclave.
Islamist Hamas said Ahmed Al-Jaabari, who ran the organization’s armed wing, Izz el-Deen Al-Qassam, died along with a passenger after their car was targeted by an Israeli missile.
Israel’s Shin Bet domestic intelligence service confirmed it had carried out the attack, saying it had killed Jaabari because of his “decade-long terrorist activity”.
“The purpose of this operation was to severely impair the command and control chain of the Hamas leadership,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
Immediate calls for revenge were broadcast over Hamas radio and smaller groups also warned of retaliation.
“Israel has declared war on Gaza and they will bear the responsibility for the consequences,” Islamic Jihad said.
A Reuters witness reported there were multiple Israeli airstrikes against the coastal enclave, but it was not immediately clear what else had been targeted.
Hamas has governed Gaza since 2007 and does not recognize Israel’s right to exist. It has been emboldened by the rise to power in neighboring Egypt of its spiritual mentors in the Muslim Brotherhood whom it views as a “safety net”.
Israel last staged a full-scale attack on Gaza during a three week conflict in 2008 and 2009 in which 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed.
Kool! Keep it up! Our holy brothers!!
Do these lowlifes really believe they’re gonna get away with lobbing missiles at Israel indiscriminately.
Kain Yovaidu kol ovachu HASHEM!
Finally Israel has woken up a little bit
Thank You Hashem! כן יאבדו כל אויבך ה
Kudos to Israel!! Kudos to Bibi!! Kien yoivdu!!!
Good riddance!
Great work Israel…………………..
What a waste of a perfectly good car!
When the leaders start having to spend most of their energy looking over their shoulders and hiding underground, it impedes their ability to conduct terror.
It also upsets them because they always send the little guys on suicide attacks and rocket launching missions whom they don’t care about. When the big boys start getting targeted, they sing a different tune.
And another one bites the dust…..
Good bye and good riddance
every couple years israel has to remind them what we can do, and then they quiet down for a few years. time to repeat cast lead
Satmer hasn’t done for Klal Yisrael in 50 years what the IDF has done in one airstrike.
Kein yovdu kol ovecha Hashem.
Kudos Israel.
May Hashem keep our brother and sisters safe and they should be victorious is all of their actions.
This is a very dramatic operation, designed by Barak to impress Israeli voters, that he can arouse our emotions of pride. But it is not a strategy that will provide security to the Israelis in range of their cheap missiles. The dramatic mission cost well over 100 thousand dollars, and knocked off a terrorist that can be replaced with less than ten thousand dollars. So who won?!
Cost effective missions that have proven effective in stopping missile attacks are planned differently. Leaflets are dropped to evacuate areas from where the attacks emanate, and the same 100 thousand dollar budget is instead used via bulldozers and dynamite, flattening one hundred million dollars of real estate, with a warning that anything found moving in the area will be targeted from the air.
With such a devastating loss they will be convinced that it doesn’t pay to repeat.
Kain Yovaidu kol ovachu hashem.Understandably a strike like this brings out patriotism towards Israel.
Just one more terrorist was killed but fact remains that actions like these only provokes more violence against Israel.Since the existence of the Jewish state not a day goes by not worrying what will happen next.The Jewish state is the least safest place to live in.You may all scream satmar but it does not take away from the fact that Jewish lives are in danger there.