Israel Launches Deadly Air Strikes In Gaza

Israel killed seven Hamas militants by launching a series of air strikes targeting fighters from Hamas after the group detonated two jeeps packed with hundreds of explosives at an Israeli crossing on the Gaza border.

Israel killed seven Hamas militants by launching a series of air strikes targeting fighters from Hamas after the group detonated two jeeps packed with hundreds of explosives at an Israeli crossing on the Gaza border. One of those that was killed in the air strike was a senior Hamas military commander, Muaa’in Abu Hamduna, who died a few hours after Hamas militants targeted the major crossing for supplies coming into Gaza.

The Hamas placed an attack Saturday on Israeli cargo crossing on the Gaza border to mark the beginning of the Jewish festival of Passover, Hamas reportedly stated. The militants attempted to break the nearly year-long blockade of the Gaza after it was sealed by Israel and Egypt when Hamas seized control of the territory by force.

During the attack, Hamas militants drove an armored personnel carrier and two jeeps made to look like Israeli army vehicles. The armored personnel carrier made way for the two jeeps breaking through a perimeter fence. The two jeeps which were filled with bombs rammed into the crossing. Hamas managed to get the vehicles past Israel’s defenses and detonate two of them.

Three Hamas militants were killed and 13 Israeli soldiers were wounded by car bombs at Kerem Shalom in the southern Gaza Strip, the third major Palestinian assault on border crossing points in less than two weeks.

Israel has reduced food and fuel supplies to Gaza in response to the Palestinian rocket attacks which is happening on a continious daily basis.

According to Israeli officials the attacks by Hamas on the border crossings is a way of trying to force them to cut off supplies altogether which Hamas are trying to start a humanitarian crisis in Gaza to win international pity and bring condemnation on the state.

On Thursday, Israel stopped fuel deliveries into the Gaza Strip at the Nahal Oz crossing point (the main entry point for fuel deliveries) which was closed following an attack by a Palestinian militant.

In related news, on Wednesday, seventeen Palestinians including mostly civilians, three Israeli soldiers, and even a Reuters cameraman were killed in what is being called ‘the bloodiest day’s fighting’ for more than a month.

On Sunday, dozens of Palestinian journalists marched in protest of the killing of the Reuters cameraman Fadel Shana in Gaza carrying pictures of the 23 year-old while calling for an independent investigation into his death.