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Israeli Air Strike Kills Hamas in Gaza
Saturday, January 19, 2008
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Israeli air strikes killed two Hamas militants in
Gaza early Saturday, a day after Israel sealed the territory and bombed an
empty Hamas government ministry in an intensifying campaign to halt rocket
fire on Israeli border towns.
In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon implored Israel to reverse
its unprecedented decision to close the border crossings completely, warning
that the cutoff of supplies is provoking a humanitarian crisis among 1.4
million Gazans. For the past seven months, since the violent Hamas takeover
of Gaza in June, Israel had severely restricted access to Gaza, but basic
food supplies and fuel were still getting through.
The Gaza blockade and the bombing of the government ministry are part of an
Israeli attempt to halt a surge of rocket fire on Israeli border towns. On
Friday, 16 rockets hit southern Israel, including one that damaged a daycare
center. Children were inside the building at the time, but no one was hurt.
Thirty-six Gazans have been killed in Israeli attacks since Tuesday,
including at least 10 civilians.
Moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday denounced the Israeli
air strikes as "brutal," but also accused Hamas of trying to destroy the
Palestinians' national aspirations. Abbas, who controls the West Bank,
reiterated his demand that rival Hamas relinquish power in Gaza. However,
the air strikes and the blockade appeared to be increasing support for Hamas
among Gazans.
Hamas was defiant Saturday, saying it would keep firing rockets at Israel.
"We will not surrender and we will not raise white flags," said Hamas
spokesman Ayman Taha.
Friday's attack on the Palestinian Interior Ministry appeared to signal a
new phase in the cross-border violence between Israel and Gaza.
An Israeli warplane bombed the empty building, flattening one wing, killing
a woman at a wedding party next door and wounding at least 46 civilians,
some of them children playing soccer in the street. The blast blew out
windows in neighboring high-rises, left hundreds without electricity and
water and terrified residents.
Five of the wounded remained in critical condition Saturday.
The attack was the first on a ministry building since the Hamas takeover,
and was seen as a message to Hamas that Israel was ready to step up air
strikes if rocket attacks continue. The building had been empty since it was
severely damaged in a July 2006 airstrike, but was seen as a symbol of Hamas
authority.
Early Saturday, Israeli forces backed by several tanks and bulldozers
entered Gaza and searched homes in the town of Jebaliya. Hamas gunmen
exchanged fire with the troops, and Israeli aircraft fired three missiles,
killing two Hamas fighters involved in the fighting, hospital officials
said.
An escalation of the Gaza fighting could complicate President Bush's efforts
to prod the sides toward a final peace deal by year's end and sour talks
between Israel and the Abbas government.
Israeli Air Strike Kills Hamas in Gaza
Saturday, January 19, 2008
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Israeli air strikes killed two Hamas militants in
Gaza early Saturday, a day after Israel sealed the territory and bombed an
empty Hamas government ministry in an intensifying campaign to halt rocket
fire on Israeli border towns.
In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon implored Israel to reverse
its unprecedented decision to close the border crossings completely, warning
that the cutoff of supplies is provoking a humanitarian crisis among 1.4
million Gazans. For the past seven months, since the violent Hamas takeover
of Gaza in June, Israel had severely restricted access to Gaza, but basic
food supplies and fuel were still getting through.
The Gaza blockade and the bombing of the government ministry are part of an
Israeli attempt to halt a surge of rocket fire on Israeli border towns. On
Friday, 16 rockets hit southern Israel, including one that damaged a daycare
center. Children were inside the building at the time, but no one was hurt.
Thirty-six Gazans have been killed in Israeli attacks since Tuesday,
including at least 10 civilians.
Moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday denounced the Israeli
air strikes as "brutal," but also accused Hamas of trying to destroy the
Palestinians' national aspirations. Abbas, who controls the West Bank,
reiterated his demand that rival Hamas relinquish power in Gaza. However,
the air strikes and the blockade appeared to be increasing support for Hamas
among Gazans.
Hamas was defiant Saturday, saying it would keep firing rockets at Israel.
"We will not surrender and we will not raise white flags," said Hamas
spokesman Ayman Taha.
Friday's attack on the Palestinian Interior Ministry appeared to signal a
new phase in the cross-border violence between Israel and Gaza.
An Israeli warplane bombed the empty building, flattening one wing, killing
a woman at a wedding party next door and wounding at least 46 civilians,
some of them children playing soccer in the street. The blast blew out
windows in neighboring high-rises, left hundreds without electricity and
water and terrified residents.
Five of the wounded remained in critical condition Saturday.
The attack was the first on a ministry building since the Hamas takeover,
and was seen as a message to Hamas that Israel was ready to step up air
strikes if rocket attacks continue. The building had been empty since it was
severely damaged in a July 2006 airstrike, but was seen as a symbol of Hamas
authority.
Early Saturday, Israeli forces backed by several tanks and bulldozers
entered Gaza and searched homes in the town of Jebaliya. Hamas gunmen
exchanged fire with the troops, and Israeli aircraft fired three missiles,
killing two Hamas fighters involved in the fighting, hospital officials
said.
An escalation of the Gaza fighting could complicate President Bush's efforts
to prod the sides toward a final peace deal by year's end and sour talks
between Israel and the Abbas government.
