Palestinian organization's spokesman says IDF airstrike which killed commander near Khan Younis proves 'occupation planning to escalate its crimes'. Gazans fear military offensive following delay in prisoner exchange deal, construction of Egyptian fence on Rafah border
The Popular Resistance Committees organization threatened Wednesday to forcefully avenge an Israel Defense Forces airstrike Tuesday night, which left a senior group member killed and four group members injured.
The organization's spokesman, Abu Mujahed, said that PRC would respond "to this crime" when the time is right. "We will not sit idle in light of the ongoing crimes of the Zionist occupation against our Palestinian people," he added.
Tuesday's Attack
PRC commander killed in Israeli airstrike in Gaza / Ali Waked and AP
Popular Resistance Committees spokesman says group's gunmen fired at IDF forces on Israeli side of security fence and were then targeted by Israeli aircraft
The spokesman also claimed that "the occupation, through its ongoing attacks and incursions into the Palestinian territory, proves that it plans to escalate its crimes against the Palestinian people."
The gunman killed in Tuesday's strike was identified as Jihad Smyre, a regional PRC commander. The IDF confirmed that it had attacked a Gaza cell preparing to launch rockets at Israel.
The IDF stressed that the army would "not tolerate any firing incident on the part of the terror organizations towards the State of Israel, and will continue to act firmly against any attempt to interrupt the calm in Israel's communities and in the southern part of the country."
Earlier this week, the organization claimed responsibility for the firing of a mortar shell,
which landed outside a community in the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council. Last week, rockets were fired
into the southern town of Netivot, for the first time since Operation Cast Lead.
Sources in Gaza have been warning of a nearing military escalation following reports of a deadlock
in talks on a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas
and the underground fence
being built by Egypt
on the Rafah border.
Ynet recently reported that the Hamas organization has raised its alertness and evacuated
headquarters near the border for fear of an Israeli attack.
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