Four Hamas militants were killed in an Israel Air Force missile strike on a car in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on Sunday night. According to Palestinian sources, two helicopter gunships fired at least three missiles at the vehicle. Among the four Hamas members killed were a senior member ofthe organization — Ahmed Aishtawi, two would-be suicide bombers and a forth militant. All four were members of the group's military wing, Iz a Dinal-Kassam, according to security sources. Palestinians reported that eight other people were injured in the strike, among them four, including a child, in moderate to serious condition.
| The carnage among the puppies, kittens, and baby ducks was horrible. And the bunnies... |
Security sources said that the assassination was carried out in order to thwart a double suicide bombing planned by Hamas's military wing in the near future. Israeli sources said that the main target of the strike was Ahmed Aishtawi, who was in charge of coordinating activities between the organization's leadership in the Gaza Strip and militants in the West Bank. Aishtawi, 24, was on top of the Israel Defense Forces' most wanted list, and is credited with transferring funds to Hamas terror cells in the West Bank, and planning many terror attacks against Israeli citizens, Israel Radio reported.
| The guy's 24 years old, probably a veteran of about six years of this stuff. And since he wasn't just cannon fodder, he's probably somebody's nephew... |
A Hamas spokesperson said Aishtawi was the head of a cell that fired home-made missiles, and specialized in attacks on IDF tanks. Two of the other militants killed were apparently meeting with Aishtawi in orderto receive explosives belts for carrying out suicide bombings. The fourth man killed was Valid Alhumes, a member of Hamas's military wing and head of the students' association at Gaza's Islamic University. Hamas sources reported that only two of the dead belonged to the group, while the other two were members of Force 17 who were present on the scene. |