IDF kills 7 Hamas gunmen in north Gaza
In overnight operations troops strike building occupied by Hamas members after gunmen fire anti-tank missile at soldiers. Meanwhile in southern Gaza, air force strikes building used as cover for tunnel-digging; no one wounded
Nighttime strike in Gaza: At least seven Hamas gunmen were killed overnight Saturday in clashes with the IDF in northern Gaza, Palestinian sources said. At least ten more were wounded, most of them armed. The IDF said soldiers opened fire after an anti-tank missile was fired at them. None of the soldiers were wounded.
According to Palestinian witnesses, a large Israeli force entered the Palestinian territory of Abu Safiya, north of Gaza City.
Attempting to block the army’s advance, armed Hamas gunmen fired an anti-tank missile at troops. Soldiers responded by fired a missile at the building occupied by the gunmen, killing seven of them and wounding several more.
The raid was part of the “Four Species” (Arbaat Haminim) operation, which started a few days ago. As part of the operation it was decided to enter the northern Gaza area from where Qassams were launched at Israel recently. Givati forces and tank and engineering brigades arrived at the area for a short and specific operation, dubbed “Ripe Etrog,” to strike at Hamas operatives.
Forces operated to expose vegetated areas which were used a cover for Qassam fire, after which they left the area and restationed north of Beit Hanoun.
Meanwhile, IDF troops left southern Gaza, thus completing operation “Rain Man”, which was held east of Khan Younis over the past 72 hours and which killed some 15 terrorists. The operation was launched after Defense Minister Amir Peretz instructed the army to continue heightened operations in northern and southern Gaza to prevent and deter Qassam attacks on western Negev communities, especially during the Sukkot holiday.
IDF sources stressed that the ground operation in Gaza would continue in various sectors to strike at terror cells. As Ynet reported Friday, the IDF believes that among the weapons smuggled into Gaza are sophisticated anti-tank missiles like the ones Hizbullah was armed with during the war in Lebanon. Likewise, the IDF is concerned that Qassam rocket technology will become more advanced and threatening owing to explosives and war materials being smuggled into the strip.
Tunnel busted
Elsewhere, the IAF struck a building in Rafah in southern Gaza, which according to the army was being used to conceal tunnel-digging activity.
The strike wrapped up operation “Rain Man,” launched to locate fugitives and weapons-smuggling tunnels in Gaza by the air force in cooperation with the Southern Command.
Palestinian witnesses and medical sources said the three-story building, which was owned by a member of Hamas, was destroyed.
They noted that Israel alerted the family living there ahead of time and ordered them to evacuate the premises half an hour ahead of the strike. No one was wounded in the blast.
On Friday night at around 9:10 p.m., Palestinians fired two Qassam rockets at Sderot. Three people were wounded - one moderately and two lightly. Nine people suffered shock. Magen David Adom medics evacuated the wounded to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon.
Friday morning IDF killed three members of a Qassam cell in northern Gaza when an IAF aircraft fired a missile at their car in Beit Lahiya. The three were members of Hamas’ armed wing.
Earlier a Palestinian woman was killed, according to news agency reports, in a village in southern Gaza during clashes between Palestinian gunmen and the IDF. According to local doctors, the woman was apparently hit by an Israeli sniper who stood outside her home.
The IDF said it did not recognize the incident. With that, already on Friday commanders in the field note that armed gunmen tended to moved through the streets surrounded by children and youths, to serve as a human security shield.
Hanan Greenberg and news agencies contributed to the report.
