Israel Kills Top Hamas Commander, Launches Operation against Gaza
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Israel killed a top Hamas military chief in an air strike in Gaza on Wednesday and launched a military operation against the Palestinian enclave, prompting Hamas’ armed wing to warn that the Jewish state had opened "the gates of hell."
Egypt said it was recalling its ambassador over Israel's hit on a car in Gaza City that killed Ahmed Jaabari and his bodyguard, followed by more than 20 air strikes in Gaza that killed another six people and wounded 65, according to the Hamas health ministry and rescue services.
The Israeli navy "targeted several Hamas terror sites stationed along the shoreline of the Gaza Strip," a military statement said.
The Palestinian envoy to the United Nations put the death toll at nine and said that the number of dead would likely rise.
Israel warned it was only the start of an operation targeting militant groups in Gaza, which comes as the Jewish state prepares for general elections in January.
"If it becomes necessary, we are prepared to expand the operation," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address on Wednesday evening, after holding consultations with his security cabinet.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the operation was aimed at strengthening Israel's deterrence, damaging militant groups' rocket-firing capabilities and stamping out attacks on southern Israel.
"We are at the beginning, not end of this action," he warned, adding: "It won't be a quick fix."
At the security cabinet meeting "it was decided... to permit the IDF (Israeli army), according to need and with the approval of the defense minister, to call up reservists," a cabinet statement said.
An Israeli army spokesman told Agence France Presse that some notices had been issued to specific personnel but that so far there was no general call-up of army reservists.
The U.S. State Department backed Israel's “right to defend itself” and condemned recent Palestinian attacks. Netanyahu's office said that he had called President Barack Obama and expressed "his deep appreciation" for the support.
The air strikes capped five days of rising tension in and around Gaza, which saw Israel kill seven Palestinians and militants fire more than 120 rockets over the border, injuring eight.
Jaabari's death sparked fury in Gaza City, with hundreds of members of Hamas and its armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, chanting for revenge in and around Shifa hospital, where Jaabari's body was taken.
The Israeli army said it had also targeted "a significant number of long-range rocket sites" and was prepared to launch a ground operation if necessary in order to stamp out rocket fire.
Police said that 81 rockets had been fired at Israel from Gaza in the aftermath of the Gaza City strike and that the level of alert had been raised across the area.
In a separate statement, the military said its Iron Dome anti-missile system successfully intercepted 13 of the rockets.
The Israeli strikes prompted widespread condemnation, with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi recalling Cairo's envoy to Israel and summoning Israel's ambassador, his spokesman said.
Gaza's Hamas government welcomed the Egyptian move in a statement which also urged Arab leaders "to take decisive action" to push Israel to end its campaign.
And following a request from Morsi, Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi said top Arab diplomats were preparing to hold an emergency meeting on Saturday to discuss the violence.
Britain also urged restraint and Russia said it was "very concerned", while Washington said it was watching developments in Gaza "closely".
The strike in Gaza City prompted an outpouring of grief and anger, with armed men firing weapons into the air outside Shifa hospital and mosques throughout the city calling prayers to mourn the commander's death.
The Qassam Brigades, in a furious statement, said Israel had "opened the gates of hell on itself", while Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the strike was tantamount to a "declaration of war".
Israel's last major operation in Gaza began at the end of December 2008, six weeks shy of general elections, when troops embarked on a 22-day campaign which killed 1,400 Palestinians -- half of them civilians -- and 13 Israelis, 10 of them soldiers.
15 November 2012, 04:59
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a fake resistance, nothing but a group of terrorist, drug dealers, thieves, armed thugs masquerading as a resistance group. We need a resistance to save Lebanon from Hizbkzb and cocaine.
14 November 2012, 18:35
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Anyone who believes that there will be a two state solution is deluding themselves. These two will keep killing each other until one triumphs over the other and then there will be peace.
14 November 2012, 19:26
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Maybe Nisrallah will send a drone to Maarab this time, and demolish the shrine.
14 November 2012, 19:26
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I have just watched the IAF film of the attack on the car, on Al Jezeera. I have also heard their reporter saying that 6 people were killed in that attack.
Anyone with the slightest common sense could see that the car which was attacked can not possibly carry 6 people and that there was no-one else in the area. So once again the world hears Hamas lies spread through Al Jezeera.
14 November 2012, 20:39
13
There were multiple attacks, not just on that vehicle.
Six people died in total thus far.
14 November 2012, 22:06
10
You mowaten are as stupid as the Gazan leadership. They could have had quiet and acceptance years ago, if they would not have started shooting their rockets into Israel after they took control of the Gaza Strip, after Israel had withdrawn all its forces and civilians from there.
So now you are saying that Al Jezeera is controlled by Israel, even though its owner is a member of the Qatari Royal Family whose head was only recently the first world leader to visit the territory since the Hamas took it over. Very strange way of thought.
"if the world knew just 10% of what israel did to palestinians you would have the entire world against you."
a - that is what Al Jezeera is for
b - why "against you, I'm British who for years has studied Middle East Affairs.
14 November 2012, 19:32
52
Mowaten - Hamas called for a cease fire and three hours after it was started they, or their cronies in the other terrorist organisations in the Gaza Strip, broke it.
We see on all the international news channels that as late as last night rockets were being fired into Israel, so how can you say that the Israeli response breaks a cease fire.
You are so anti-Israeli that you write wanting the "resistance weapons to keep you safe" shows that you want Hizballah to once again draw the south of Lebanon into a war.
14 November 2012, 20:10
22
This offensive forces the Emir of Qatar and the Turkish government to "step up" their support for Palestinians. It even makes it harder for the EU to back the collaborator bloc, and for that bloc itself and its leader, Abbas, to continue their collaboration with the racist genocidal regime "Israel". All in all, a miscalculation by "Israel" unless you view it as a suicide attempt. We might say, in that respect, this is the slowest slow-motion suicide in history.
14 November 2012, 20:36
32
not disgusting at all, Hamas is where it belongs, with the revolutionaries of the Arab world...is this a coincidence that this happens after the regime shut down Hamas's offices and the Syrian opposition coalition united? fakker shwy....
14 November 2012, 21:16
22
mowaten and hezbis are full of contradictions and hypocrisy whatever they say to deny it...
they praised hamas before and now it supports the FSA they let them down. hamas wants to liberate palestine but i guess for hezbis only hezb now is able to do that.
ain t it funny to see how arrogant and full of superiority hezbis are? they believe they are the kings of the world and all the others are just BS.
so stupid people... but not a single tyrant has ever lasted long and so will be the fate of hezbis, their fall will be all the more hard for their a... as they think of themselves so highly!
15 November 2012, 11:56
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just like hezbis betrayed lebanon and its constitution, let s see them reap what they sowed...
14 November 2012, 21:38
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ishallah!!! war between israel and hezbollah!!! so both jews and shia will be dead!!!! and the sunna will be free!!!! ! after assad's head will be cut off!!! the mujahidin will go to israel to help gaza and free palestine and also will go to lubnan to cut nassralla head!!!!! death to israel!!! Death to iran!!! death to shia!!! death to assad!!! death to nassrallah!!!! kill shia in baghdad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! allahu akbar!!!
14 November 2012, 21:40
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ishallah!!! war between israel and hezbollah!!! so both jews and shia will be dead!!!! and the sunna will be free!!!! ! after assad's head will be cut off!!! the mujahidin will go to israel to free palestine and free gaza and will also go to lubnan to cut nassralla head!!!!! death to israel!!! death to shia!!! death to assad!!! death to nassrallah!!!! kill shia in baghdad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! allahu akbar!!!
14 November 2012, 21:42
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ishallah!!! war between israel and hezbollah!!! so both jews and shia will be dead!!!! and the sunna will be free!!!!!!! allahu akbar!!!
14 November 2012, 21:59
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First of all Al Jezeera was actually quoted as stating that the 6 people had been killed in that specific attack.
It seems that you and your friend mowaten see an Israeli hidden behind every single comment which does not agree 100% with your way of thinking. Surprise, surprise perhaps you should learn what it means to live in a democracy where everyone can say what they think.
For your information, Al Jezeera in English is broadcast around the whole world and not just in your small area of the Middle East, and where it is not it is widely quoted by local news stations.
14 November 2012, 22:15
04
I don't condone Israel's actions, but WTF do the militants in Gaza think that launching a bunch of missles into empty fields is going to accomplish? What happened to common sense and restraint?
14 November 2012, 22:16
17
This none of Lebanon and Lebanese business. The Palestinians made their own bed long ago and we had nothing to do with it.
14 November 2012, 22:29
21
its a pay back for Gilad Shalit, he was the sole responsible for the kidnap. It has noting to do with Rockets. He has been on the list for a long time.
14 November 2012, 22:34
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what is ironic is you don't see any salafist trademark beards amongst the palestinians in any of the video footage. I guess the saudis only send those boys to fight 'real' enemies like syria or in saida.
15 November 2012, 00:45
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Ya mowaten, all the west is doing with the FSA is putting them together so they can form a united front against assad. Remember, the lack of unity is why they have so far not done a libya-style operation in syria. With a united opposition they can finally do this. After bashar is overthrown there will be relative peace and prosperity in syria, like in libya, and this will in turn lead to peace and prosperity in lebanon, especially if the new regime of Syria is willing to make a peace treaty with Israel in exchange for the return of the golan. Hamas has shifted allegiances because hamas is a branch of the muslim brotherhood and before the elections in egypt there was only syria and iran to support them.
