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Hamas policemen inspecting the scene where seven Hamas militants were killed in an Israel Air Force missile strike in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday. (Reuters)
Last update - 09:09 06/02/2008
IDF kills nine Hamas men in Gaza, Qassams rain on Sderot
By Amos Harel, Avi Issacharoff, and Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Sderot, Qassam, Hamas 

The conflict in Gaza heated up again Tuesday after a few days of relative quiet, in response to the suicide bombing perpetrated by Hamas in Dimona on Monday. Israel killed nine Hamas operatives in the Gaza Strip, while Palestinians fired heavy barrages of rockets at southern Israel that moderately wounded a 14-year-old girl and lightly wounded several other civilians.

Meanwhile, three Qassam rockets were launched towards Ashkelon late Tuesday night. No injuries were reported.

Tuesday's rocket barrages were the heaviest since Hamas breached the border with Egypt two weeks ago. The Israel Defense Forces believes that should the escalation continue, a large-scale ground operation in Gaza will become more likely.
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The fighting in Gaza began before dawn with a small-scale ground operation near Rafah, on the Gaza-Egypt border. IDF soldiers ran into a group of four armed Hamas operatives, two of whom were killed in the subsequent fire fight. Palestinians identified the dead men as Mahmoud Abu Teh and Bakker Abu Ghajal.

Soon afterward, the first rocket barrage hit Sderot, but no one was hurt. The IDF believes that Hamas fired the rockets, though two other organizations ­ the Popular Resistance Committees and the armed wing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah organization ­ claimed responsibility.

At 4 P.M., an air force strike on a Hamas police station in Abassan, east of Khan Yunis, killed seven Hamas operatives and wounded several others.

Dr. Moaiya Hassanain, a Palestinian Health Ministry official, said that some of the wounded were in critical condition. Palestinians identified the dead men as Rifat Kadih, Ahmed al-Masbah, Wafi Abu Yusef, Maataz Abu Shahala, Osama Abu Saada, Mohammed Abu Saada and Abed a-Nasser Abu Tir.

The strike caused Hamas to order all its forces to evacuate their buildings, lest Israel bomb others as well.

IDF sources said the attack was a response to that morning's rocket salvo. However, it appears that Israel also wanted to respond to Monday's bombing, for which Hamas claimed credit, though the terrorists came from the organization's Hebron wing rather than from Gaza.

Following the strike on the police station, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that Israel would pay a high price for "these crimes," and the organization's initial response was not long in coming: It fired what it said were dozens of rockets and mortars at Sderot over the course of the next few hours, starting at about 5:30 P.M. Altogether, according to Israeli sources, 12 rockets and 13 mortars landed in Israel Tuesday.

The IAF strikes on Gaza continued into Wednesday morning, leaving an additional four Palestinians hurt.

As a result of Tuesday evening's salvo of Qassam rockets on Sderot, seven people were taken to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon for treatment, and several others were treated for shock. One rocket scored a direct hit on a house, which was not reinforced against rockets, and caused heavy damage. The family was evacuated to a hotel in Ashkelon.

Another rocket hit a high-voltage wire, causing a power outage that lasted for hours.

President Shimon Peres was supposed to have visited Sderot at about 5:30 P.M. on Tuesday to attend the dedication of a Torah scroll at the house of a local resident. It was just at that hour that the rocket barrage began, and one rocket landed near the house where the president was supposed to have been. In fact, Peres had not yet left Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, where he was visiting those wounded in Monday's suicide bombing. However, he did arrive later, despite the rockets.

Another rocket landed near two kindergartens while the schools were holding a joint activity for parents and children. Neither kindergarten is fully reinforced against rocket attacks, but no one was hurt.

Later that evening, another rocket landed on the grounds of a high local school, but no one was there at the time.

Three rockets hit local factories on Tuesday morning, two in the Sderot industrial park and one in the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council, causing property damage but no casualties.

Later Tuesday evening, air force helicopters raked areas in northern Gaza from which rockets are often launched with "deterrent fire," and Palestinian sources said that three civilians were wounded. The army said it had been targeting rocket-launching squads.

Also Tuesday morning, Palestinian gunmen opened fire on farmers working in the fields of Kibbutz Nir Oz, near Gaza. No one was hurt, but some farm equipment was damaged.

Related articles:
  • IAF strikes kill seven in Gaza; 40 Qassams fired at Israel
  • 25 Qassams fired at Israel after deadly IDF Gaza raid
  • Israeli-Turkish relations tense as Erdogan says Qassams don't kill
  • In Gaza, life destroyed by the Qassams
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      1.   Hey Haaretz - Let Hamas Get The Amalek Treatment 01:41  |  Norman F Birnberg 06/02/08
      2.   more jew terrorism 01:44  |  kmt 06/02/08
      3.   Won`t end until we get new competent leadership... 01:48  |  bat yam 06/02/08
      4.   Shame Haaretz - Abetting Th Relentless Qassam Propaganda Campaign 01:52  |  chet 06/02/08
      5.   WHERE IS ARIK SHARON? 02:01  |  20x20 06/02/08
      6.   some people just dont know when their beat 02:36  |  tony 06/02/08
      7.   It`s time for a very large-scale ground offensive.. 02:04  |  Mr. Ami Goldman 06/02/08
      8.   chet: Din`t compare casualyies. Define a GUILTY PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!! 02:14  |  Vittorio 06/02/08
      9.   No end in sight 02:15  |  jjvanka 06/02/08
      10.   Israel strikes Hamas targets, Hamas strikes a high school 02:18  |  Conroy 06/02/08
      11.   hamas 02:21  |  tom 06/02/08
      12.   Israeli terrorism is outta control. targeting 14yr old girls.. 02:22  |  POP 06/02/08
      13.   Chet 02:24  |  LARRY 06/02/08
      14.   You cannot aim a Quassam at a house...! 02:28  |  Stephen. 06/02/08
      15.   1 Norman F Bernberg,nothing to do with Haaretz` reporting! 02:33  |  lakshmi 06/02/08
      16.   I agree with Chet 02:40  |  Natallie Durson 06/02/08
      17.   Chet 02:43  |  Canadian 06/02/08
      18.   1. dear norman. but remember assyria 722 02:52  |  bozhidar balkas 06/02/08
      19.   IDF kill combatants, Hamas kills old women! 02:55  |  Voice of Reason 06/02/08
      20.   Durson #16 03:03  |  MrRad 06/02/08
      21.   Ardent feminist Durson 03:06  |  Stephen in New York 06/02/08
      22.   so when are we going to cut all ties and treat this as a real war 03:17  |  ralph 06/02/08
      23.   pop, take your work home with you and guess what it will follow y 03:19  |  ralph 06/02/08
      24.   The IDF 03:32  |  Nechama 06/02/08
      25.   Hey Natallie...do you like wearing a burka? 03:34  |  Nechama 06/02/08
      26.   Natallie Durson 03:37  |  Nechama 06/02/08
      27.   #12 You have proved you can read, now....... 03:43  |  manny.b 06/02/08
      28.   Natalie Durson - Post #16 03:56  |  JK 06/02/08
      29.   # 24 Nechama........Certain rules of engagement. 04:03  |  Stephen. 06/02/08
      30.   Dear Natallie, 04:03  |  manny.b 06/02/08
      31.   ISRAEL RETALIATION MUST BE IMMEDIATE, DECISIVE!! 04:29  |  Stash 06/02/08
      32.   manny.b #12 is Israeli and is lying about it 04:35  |  skunkmaster 06/02/08
      33.   Where are all my posts?? 04:41  |  Skunkmaster 06/02/08
      34.   #7 is wrong: continue pin point attacks, no invasion 05:29  |  Davidoff 06/02/08
      35.   what good is a few underlings...where are the key players? 05:31  |  dav zee 06/02/08
      36.   NAJD, not Sderot 05:33  |  Pete 06/02/08
      37.   Chet: you are totally misguided 05:46  |  Darren 06/02/08
      38.   #4 Chet - Fireworks are they? 05:48  |  * BEN JABO 06/02/08
      39.   Natalie Durson agrees with Chet..SO WHAT? 05:49  |  KJJ 06/02/08
      40.   #12 POP - Targeting 50 year old Grandmothers is O.K. ? 05:50  |  * BEN JABO 06/02/08
      41.   #12 Pop you fool - read slowly 05:53  |  * BEN JABO 06/02/08
      42.   #14 Steve - Salamanca 05:57  |  * BEN JABO 06/02/08
      43.   #16 NUT allie 05:59  |  * BEN JABO 06/02/08
      44.   jjvanka: Please get informed 06:00  |  Brad 06/02/08
      45.   For Boghidar # 18 on wiping out the opposition 06:00  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 06/02/08
      46.   #32 Skunkmaster - Smell yourself 06:02  |  * BEN JABO 06/02/08
      47.   RE-OCCUPY GAZA 06:08  |  Arik Silverman 06/02/08
      48.   #12 pop - hamas targeted the 14 y/o girl 06:14  |  Adrian de Klerk 06/02/08
      49.   #12 2nd TRY POP - learn to read 06:19  |  * BEN JABO 06/02/08
      50.   Any solution but ending the occupation 06:22  |  Ben 06/02/08
      51.   It`s all about the trap 06:42  |  Pablo B 06/02/08
      52.   #50 Ben - There was NO PEACE before occupation 06:43  |  * BEN JABO 06/02/08
      53.   POP calling Hamas terrorists! Can you believe that people? 06:55  |  Amazed 06/02/08
      54.   Dumb Durson 07:20  |  Dutch 06/02/08
      55.   POOP, Dimona rings any bells? 07:21  |  Dan 06/02/08
      56.   War against terrorists. 07:30  |  Harold Lane 06/02/08
      57.   Israel`s Appeasement Policies - Chickens Coming Home to Roost 07:33  |  Tod Zuckerman 06/02/08
      58.   Escalation not a policy 07:34  |  Esther 06/02/08
      59.   Escalation not a policy 07:34  |  Esther 06/02/08
      60.   To Natallie the aFeminist 07:35  |  Jake 06/02/08
      61.   IDF, WHERE IS YOUR BIG GUNS? WHERE ARE YOUR TEETH? 07:37  |  20x20 06/02/08
      62.   haaretz readers 07:41  |  Natallie Durson 06/02/08
      63.   What`s your problem BEN JABO?? 07:43  |  Skunkmaster 06/02/08
      64.   THE END OF "PALESTINE" = PEACE ON EARTH 07:46  |  you are with us 06/02/08
      65.   Ben, since there is no occupation in Gaza, you surely mean Tibet 07:50  |  Dan 06/02/08
      66.   POOP, thank you for caring for our injured 14-year old 07:52  |  Dan 06/02/08
      67.   NATALIE DURSON 07:56  |  mike 06/02/08
      68.   IDF 07:58  |  mike 06/02/08
      69.   End the occupation? 08:14  |  Alan