Two Hamas militants killed in Israeli helicopter strike
Israeli helicopters have fired four missiles at a vehicle in the Gaza Strip Saturday, killing at least four Palestinians including two members of Hamas.
It was the fifth Israeli missile strike on a Palestinian target in 10 days.
The two Hamas men were Abdullah Akel and Farid Mayet, according to hospital officials.
Field commander Mr Akel was imprisoned for his membership of Hamas during the first Palestinian uprising, between 1987 and 1993. Mayet was one of his assistants.
With the ceasefire declared over by Islamic militants, after Israel killed political leader Ismail Abu Shanab in a similar attack, the Jewish state has targeted for “liquidation” other elements of Hamas’ military wing, in revenge for the suicide bombing that killed 21 people in Jerusalem.
The continued tit-for-tat violence threatens to derail the US-backed “road map” for peace in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, an eight-year-old girl, Aya Fayad, was killed and seven other Palestinians left wounded in the Gaza Strip’s Khan Younis refugee camp, on the edge of the Neve Dkalim settlement, after Israeli troops opened submachine gun fire, according to reports.
It is not yet clear why the soldiers opened fire.
