Israel has escalated its military operations throughout the occupied territories as at least 14 Palestinians were killed and more than 40 injured when Israeli helicopters struck a Hamas site in Gaza City around midnight Monday.
On Tuesday, Hamas vowed revenge for this carnage.
Israel said all of the casualties were Hamas members, and four of the wounded sustained critical injuries.
The strike targeted a Hamas community center complex, including a building and a football ground that the Israeli army said was used by the Hamas military wing for training.
An Israeli statement detailed events that it said took place at the lot in recent days, including assembly of a large bomb and a suicide bomber's vest, practice in hijacking vehicles and training in preparing and firing mortars and rockets.
Many activists of Hamas were meeting at the building during the time of the raid, Palestinian sources said. The complex, which includes offices, is named after Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, who was assassinated by Israel in April.
A statement by the Hamas military wing pledged to hit back. Hamas' spokesman in Gaza Mushir Masri, stated that the "Zionist massacre" in Gaza was a new addition to the record of brutal bloodbaths against the Palestinian people.
Masri noted that the carnage reflected the enemy’s confusion in targeting a summer camp for a group of Muslim youth. He pointed out that Israel was mobilizing all potentials for the sake of aborting the intifada and resistance, especially following the recent "qualitative" operation launched by the Qassam Brigades, Hamas military wing, in the city of Beer Sheba.
“There is an open war between us and the enemy,” he said, adding that the enemy was daily exposing its ugly image. Masri stressed that the war has its ups and downs and that the march of Jihad and resistance would continue.
“We tell our people that victory has a price and our people’s blood will remain the torch that lights the way before us until ejection of this occupier from our lands,” the Hamas spokesman underlined.
Witnesses said Israeli helicopters fired five missiles at the Hamas site, located in the Sajaiya neighborhood in the eastern part of Gaza City. They added that the first missile slammed into a bus and the other four blasted in the midst of the summer camp, organized by Hamas for young Muslims.
The sources said that the remains of dead, all in their twenties, were scattered all over the place. Many Palestinians residents of the nearby suburb rushed to carry the victims in their private cars.
Doctors in the Shifa hospital said that a number of the wounded would be handicapped for the rest of their lives.
The 14 victims were identified as: Eihab Mohammed al-Deeb, 23; Ussama 'Awni Hajaliya, 26; Sa'id Yasser 'Ouda, 25; Mo'tassem Fu'ad Al-Zarbatli, 23; Ghassan 'Obaid, 23; Mohammed 'Omar Jindiya, 21; 'Aaref Qassem Jindiya; 20; Ahmed Khairi Eskafi, 25; Adham Karim Quraiqe', 22; Bilal Fayez Quraiqe', 22; Mohammed 'Abdullah Qanou', 18; 'Ezzat Ahmed al-Wadiya, 19; Fares Sa'di al-Sirsawi, 22; and Ayman Khazzaa' Farahat, 18.
On its part, the Palestinian National Authority strongly condemned the Israeli strike in Gaza, describing it as an intentional attempt to sabotage peace efforts in the region. Minister of Negotiations Affairs, Dr. Sa'eb Erekat, said, "we condemn strongly this unjustified Israeli raid," pointing out that Israel would do anything to disrupt the peace process.
He added that the unjustified Israeli attacks against civilians mandates an immediate intervention by the Quartet committee to force the implementation of its internationally-supported Road Map plan for peace.
Mohammed Al Hendi, a senior leader in the Islamic Jihad movement in Gaza, commented on the Israeli carnage, "this Israeli escalation did not come as a retaliation to the Beer Sheba attack, as the attackers came from Hebron not Gaza. This attack comes as part of the stepped up Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people."
He pointed out that the "Israeli massacre" came concurrent with the visit of the Egyptian delegation to the Palestinian territories, hinting that this escalation represented a message to the Egyptians from Israel telling them not to make any efforts to bring about peace into the region.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei warned Israel that the Gaza air strike would invite a response from the Hamas group, adding that any retaliation for
the killings would be justified.
"No crime goes unpunished," Qurei said during a meeting of
the Palestinian Cabinet. "For sure there will be
retaliation and the retaliation will be justified."
Qurei said the attack hindered Egypt's efforts to help
bring peace to the region.
"Israel wants to block everything," the Prime Minister said.
"Yesterday we had a fruitful meeting with the Egyptians
and this was Israel's response."
In the meantime, in the West Bank, at least four Palestinians were injured by Israeli fire near the "Itamar" settlement Monday night. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
