2 senior terrorists killed

The Air Force fired a missile at a car traveling in the northern Gaza Strip, killing senior al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades terrorist Hassan al-Madhoun, who the IDF says was responsible for the Ashdod bomb suicide bombing in 2004 that killed 10 people.

A senior Hamas terrorist, Fawzi abu-Qara, was also reportedly killed in the strike. The IDF is currently not attempting to target Hamas members, army sources said, noting Qara was only killed because he happened to travel in al-Madhoun’s vehicle.

Meanwhile, a “Qassam alert” was declared in the southern town of Sderot following the assassination, with residents bracing themselves for more rocket attacks.

Al-Madhoun was the commander of the “Nabil Massoud Brigades,” one of the more active terror cells of the Fatah’s al-Aqsa Brigades. Abu-Qara was a notable Hamas terror leader, but al-Madhoun is the more senior target and was involved in Qassam rocket attacks in Sderot, including the strikes of recent days.

Madhoun was also employed by the Palestinian Authority’s preventive security force and led the al-Aqsa Brigades’ Islamic branch, which is closely associated with Hamas. According to a Fatah member, most attacks carried out by al-Madhoun’s men were financed by Hamas.

Israel turned to the PA in the past and asked that Madhoun be arrested, but Palestinian security officials ignored the requests. The army says Madhoun was known as an intermediary who worked on facilitating joint terror attacks by various groups.

‘killings only boost us’

Palestinian sources say Madhoun's group was also responsible for the Ashdod attack as well as an attack on Gaza’s Karni crossing, in conjunction with the Popular resistance committees, which killed three Israelis who worked at the terminal there.

Assassination aftermath (Photo: Reuters)

The latest IDF assassination puts an end to intra-Palestinian understandings to end Gaza-based attacks, al-Aqsa Brigades commander abu Udai told Ynet.

“With this assassination Israel thinks it will eliminate Palestinian resistance…but the Israelis must understand these killings only boost us and now they must wait for a harsh response,” he said.

Abu Udai said every time there is hope to reach intra-Palestinian understandings on ending rocket and mortar strikes, Israel makes sure to carry out “crimes,” which he said “require the organizations to respond.”

Hamas terrorists also vowed to avenge Tuesday’s killing.

Meanwhile, MK Ran Cohen (Meretz-Yahad), who is a member of the Knesset's Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee, demanded an urgent Committee debate in the wake of the assassination.

Cohen said the operation was "A severe mistake by Israel that will only heat up the area and continue the surge of violence and terror."

Hanan Greenberg, Efrat Weiss, and Ilan Marciano contributed to the report