Eight Palestinian commando fighters from three groups attacked an Israeli army post near the Gaza Strip in the pre-dawn hours Sunday, sparking a gun battle in which at least three of the attackers and two israeli soldiers were killed. "Apparently an anti-tank missile hit the post," an Israeli army spokeswoman was quoted as saying. At least six other Israelis were wounded.
Izz a Din al Qassam, the Hamas military wing, said it helped carry out the raid, which also involved the People's Resistance Committees (PRC), and the Islamic Army.
"There was an operation to land fighters behind the Kerem Shalom crossing. There is a large number of fatalities and wounded among the enemy," said Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for the Hamas armed wing. The eight fighters apparently reached the post through a tunnel dug under the border.
The armed groups said the operation was in response to the Israeli assassination this month of PRC leader Jamal Abu Samhadana and other air strikes which killed civilians. "Our fighters infiltrated the Israeli military location near so-called Kerem Shalom," said Abu Mujahid, a PRC spokesman. "They succeeded in blowing up several Israeli vehicles and clashed with Israeli soldiers. The battle is still going on. The number of fighters is bigger than any time. We have some martyrs who fell during the battle."
"It was a very complicated and well-studied operation. The details are going to shock the Zionists. There are many surprises that are going to be announced about planning and about the process and about the battle itself."
The two Palestinian figters who were killed were identified as Muhammed Farawneh, 22 from Khan Yunis and Hamed Rantisi, 22 from Rafah.
"This operation is a natural response to the Israeli crimes of killing women and children, and the assassination of two leaders," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said of Sunday's attack.
Palestinians claimed they took the body of an Israeli killed in the fighting and hours after the incident started Israeli ground troops entered the Gaza Strip as helicopter gunships fired at open fields. The israeli military had no information on whether the missing soldier was dead or alive.
Israel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas both contacted Egyptian officials. Abbas also discussed the attack with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah II, his office said. Abbas condemned the operation in the Kerem Shalom area, saying that "this operation contradicts everything we have heard so far from the representatives we have spoken to on the prisoners' document and violates all the understandings."
Abbas added that "we always stated that we must avoid operations that are not under Palestinian consensus, for which the Palestinian people will pay a heavy price."
The Israeli army closed the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza Strip for several days last week due to a "security alert."
On his part, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday he holds the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas-ruled government responsible "with all that implies" for what he called the "very grave Hamas terrorst attack" on an Israeli military outpost in the pre-dawn hours.
