http://www.smh.com.au/world/war-fears-as-israel-kills-hamas-commander-20121115-29d9n.html
War fears as Israel kills Hamas commander Date November 15, 2012 - 9:50AM a.. b.. Ruth Pollard Middle East Correspondent View more articles from Ruth Pollard Follow Ruth on Twitter a.. b.. c.. d.. inShare e.. Pin It f.. Email article g.. Print h.. Reprints & permissions i.. Gaza missile strike raises war fears An Israeli missile strike on Gaza, which killed the head of the Islamist organisation's military wing, has increased fears of an escalation of conflict in the region. a.. Autoplay OnOff b.. Video feedback c.. Video settings Israel appears set on a course of open war on Gaza, with bombing continuing and ground forces on stand-by following its assassination of the leader of the Hamas military wing. Israel's return to the policy of assassination of leaders from the Palestinian struggle groups shows that the Israeli occupation wants to drag the region towards instability. The assassination of Ahmed al-Jabari in a missile strike in Gaza City was the "start of a broader operation", the Israel Defence Forces has confirmed. Palestinians help extinguish the fire after an Israeli air strike on the car of Hamas's top commander. Photo: Reuters Ground forces are on stand-by to enter Gaza if given the order, it said via Twitter, and gunships continue firing shells into the Gaza Strip. Advertisement In response, Hamas's armed wing warned al-Jabari's assassination "had opened the gates of hell" and vowed its militants would "continue the path of resistance”. Israel hit more than 20 “targets” inside Gaza after it assassinated the Islamist military leader, along with another Hamas official, in a missile strike against the car in which they were travelling. A poster declaring the 'elimination' of Jabari and published online by the Israeli Defence Force. Photo: @idfspokesperson/Twitter The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, warned that the military was "prepared to expand" its Gaza operation. The IDF said its actions were part of a wider Israeli operation against militant groups and weapon sites in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, and were prompted by a wave of rocket attacks against Israel. Gaza’s health ministry says 10 civilians have been killed, including two young children – an 11-month-old and a six-year-old – while at least 45 people have been wounded, 10 of them in critical condition. Click for more photos Israeli Airstrike attacks on Gaza Strip Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike in the northern Gaza Strip November 14, 2012. Israel killed the military commander of the Islamist group Hamas in a missile strike on the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and launched air raids across the enclave, pushing the two sides to the brink of a new war. Hamas said Ahmed Al-Jaabari, who ran the organisation's armed wing, Izz el-Deen Al-Qassam, died along with an unnamed associate when their car was blown apart by an Israeli missile. Palestinians said nine people were killed, including a seven-year-old girl. Photo: Reuters a.. b.. c.. d.. e.. f.. g.. h.. i.. j.. k.. l.. m.. n.. View all 36 photos There were scenes of chaos at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, as dozens of seriously injured patients were stretchered in, while ambulances sped off to collect more casualties. Meanwhile, in southern Israel, residents have been ordered to stay in bomb shelters in preparation for an expected surge in rocket attacks from Gaza. Schools in a 40km radius of the border have closed. A spokesperson for the IDF said on Twitter: “We recommend that no Hamas operatives, whether low-level or senior leaders, show their faces above ground in the days ahead." Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/war-fears-as-israel-kills-hamas-commander-20121115-29d9n.html#ixzz2CFLPzTJj [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
