Dichter's assistant injured by gunshots in south

Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter's personal assistant was lightly to moderately injured Friday by gunshots fired by Palestinians at the minister's entourage visiting the Nizmit hill near Kibbutz Nir Am in southern Israel.

"The army of the nation", a new organization affiliated with al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the sniper fire. Hamas' military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, also took responsibility for the attack along with an unknown organization called "the al-Aqsa defenders."  

Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for Hamas' military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, said Friday afternoon that the internal security minister was the target of the attack.

"An organization sniper fired at a group of Israelis, including Minister Dichter. The Mujahideen ambushed Minister Dichter's entourage and began firing at it, injuring the minister's assistant. The operation was targeted at the minister himself," he said.

Ubaida added that "the operation is part of the Palestinian resistance activities in response to the enemy's crimes and the ongoing siege on the Gaza Strip." He promised to issue a videotape documenting the attack.

A Magen David Adom crew evacuated 30-year-old Matti Gil of Jerusalem, who was injured in the groin, to the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon.

Minister Dichter lay down on the ground with his entourage and asked everyone to remain calm. Following the incident, he said that "the IDF did an excellent job and immediately fired back at the source of the fire until it stopped. Ambulances were dispatched to the area within minutes."

Dichter left the area for the Barzilai hospital to visit his injured assistant.

Gil evacuated to hospital (Photo: Tsafrir Abayov)

The minister was hosting a group of managers from the Canada-Israel Committee (CIC), a pro-Israel lobby group, who visited the observation tower in the Gaza vicinity area in order to examine the threat on Israel, receiving a live demonstration. According to estimates, a Palestinian sniper fired the shots.

The observation tower, which overlooks the northern Gaza Strip from Ashkelon to the al-Bureij and al-Marazi refugee camp in the heart of the Strip, is considered a popular hiking site.

Earlier, Palestinian fired at farmers in Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha. There were no reports of injuries. Some 30 youths from the Kibbutz Movement arrived at the area Friday morning in order to assist the farmers in their work. Large army forces secured the activity.

'I heard my assistant scream'

After arriving at the hospital to visit his injured assistant, Dichter recounted the Drama in a conversation with Ynet.

"I don't know why, but before I started talking, maybe because they were tourists, I told them that if gunshots start they should lie down on the ground, and that the IDF was here and would protect us. And suddenly Palestinians opened fire. I believe it was a sniper.

"I immediately saw that they were firing at us. I shouted to people to lie down. They were obedient and they all lay down. The IDF fired back at the sources of the fire. It lasted for about 10 minutes, during which we were unable to raise our heads.

"On the side, about 20 meters away from me, I heard Matii Gil, my assistant, screaming. I understood he was hurt. We saw a stain of blood on his trousers. My driver, Tal Mehi, rushed to put a finger on his artery in order to block the blood. Meanwhile, a paramedic from the post ran over to us, blocked his artery and alerted an ambulance. We continued to tend to him until the ambulance arrived. The gunshots stopped. Matti was conscious the entire time."

Dichter told the CIC group about the threat from the Gaza Strip. "I explained to them for half an hour about what was taking place in the Gaza Strip, about the Qassam fire, about the residents' lives here."

The minister's injured assistant kept cool at the hospital. "There is no doubt that my life was saved. Whatever happens, I will overcome. I'm suffering from pain, but it will pass," Gil said.

Dichter added that he had visited Sderot three times over the past week and vowed to continue the tours as part of his job.

Several weeks ago, a Grad rocket landed near the minister's house in Ashkelon. He was not at home during the attack. About a month ago, Dichter's security guard was injured at the Sapir College just before the minister's visit.

'Bullets began to whistle'

Eddie Azran, the CIC's coordinator in Sderot, led the group which accompanied Minister Dichter and was the first to tend to the injured man.

"We were standing at the observation tower and were briefed by the internal security minister," Azran told Ynet. "There were other groups near us, 80 people in total. Suddenly, a volley of gunshots tore through the hill, and bullets began whistling between our legs.

"We immediately urged everyone to take cover. We heard a guy screaming that he was hurt and couldn’t move. After evacuating everyone and after the army fired back at the source of the gunshots, I ran to my car and took out a first aid kit which I always carry around. Together with the minister's driver, I carried the injured man to a sheltered area.

"We checked for additional injuries and evacuated the group by foot, because it was problematic to approach the cars. I must stress that the Canadians insisted on continuing the tour, and we drove to Sderot.

"Now they have a better understanding of the terror we experience here. There were children and adults, Jews and non-Jews. The shooters targeted innocent people."

Roni Sofer, Shmulik Hadad, Ali Waked, Amit Schneider and Meital Yasur-Beit Or contributed to this report