fonte: www.haaretzdaily.com
aggiornato: ore 12.20

Nella giornata di giovedi, l'IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) ha lanciato tre missili su un veicolo nel nord della città di Gaza, uccidendo almeno una persona, secondo fonti della polizia palestinese e di testimoni.

Una fonte della sicurezza israeliana ha dichiarato che l'attacco, avvenuto due giorni prima della visita del segretario di stato statunitense Colin Powell per promuovere il piano "road map" in Medio Oriente, aveva come obiettivo un membro del gruppo militante islamico Hamas.

L'uomo ucciso nell'attacco è stato identificato in Iyad El-Bek, 27 anni, un militante di Hamas ricercato.

La polizia palestinese sul posto ha dichiarato che l'attacco è stato un "assassinio" (omicidio extragiudiziario ndt)

Testimoni palestinesi dicono che due missili hanno colpito l'auto, mentre il terzo ha colpito un'area aperta vicino all'auto. I testimoni affermano che i missili sono stati lanciati da un elicottero, ma è ancora poco chiaro se siano stati lanciati dal cielo o da terra.

Hamas ha rivendicato la responsabilità di dozzine di attacchi suicidi che hanno ucciso decine di israeliani dall'inizio del trentunesimo mese della rivolta per l'indipendenza.

Israele ha condotto simili attacchi aerei avendo come obiettivo i più importanti militanti palestinesi, fomentando in questo modo la rivolta.

link su Ha'Aretz

- - -

Jerusalem Post: -Hamas official killed in targeted helicopter strike-

Israeli Air Force helicopters fired three missiles at a car driving north of Gaza City on Thursday, killing a Hamas man and wounding another Palstinian, media reports said.

Two of the missiles struck the car and a third landed nearby in the street, witnesses said.

"One hit the car from the front and the other from behind," said Imad Mouhmmed. "There were pieces of human flesh flying into the air."

The IDF had no immediate comment.

Israel Radio identified the man killed in the strike in Gaza City's el-Darraj quarter as Iyad el-Bek of Hamas, an aide to former Hamas military leader Salah Shehade, who was killed by the IDF in a targeted strike last July.

El Bek was involved in planning a number of terror attacks against Israelis, the radio said.

A big cloud of smoke was seen rising from the area shortly after the attack took place at about noon local time. A large explosion was heard. Ambulances were dispatched to the scene.

Hospital officials said they had the body of man blown up in the explosion.

Three bystanders were treated at the scene for non-serious injuries, Palestinian reports said.

(With The Associated Press)


- - -

Medio Oriente. Raid degli elicotteri israeliani a Gaza, morto militante di Hamas

Gaza, 8 maggio 2003

Due elicotteri israeliani hanno lanciato tre missili a Gaza city, uccidendo Iyad El Bek, 27 anni, un militante di Hamas ricercato da Israele. Inizialmente si era parlato di missili contro un'abitazione di Gaza, ma testimoni palestinesi riferiscono di un'automobile colpita, completamente distrutta dalle fiamme.

A ovest di Khan Yunis, intanto, i soldati israeliani hanno ucciso questa mattina un palestinese di una trentina d'anni al posto di blocco di Tufah, nel sud della Striscia di Gaza. Lo riferisce la radio israeliana, spiegando che l'uomo è stato ucciso dopo aver ignorato l'ordine di fermarsi dei soldati.

Un'altra vittima palestinese è morta in ospedale: è una giovane donna palestinese, rimasta ferita la settimana scorsa dalle pallottole israeliane durante una incursione dell'esercito, nelle vicinanze di Khan Yunis. Si chiamava Ikram Eqdeh, e aveva 27 anni. Con lei, sale a 3.214 il numero degli uccisi accertati dall'inizo dell'Intifadah, scoppiata nel settembre 2000: 2.484 delle vittime sono palestinesi, e 730 israeliane.

- - -

http://www.PalestineChronicle.com

GAZA CITY - Israeli occupation forces killed a Palestinian activist and a toddler on Wednesday, May 7, as the Jewish state further tightened a military blockade on the West Bank and Gaza Strip on the 55th anniversary of its creation on Palestinian land occupied in 1948.

An 18-month-old Palestinian boy died hours after being shot at by Israeli soldiers guarding the Gadid Jewish settlement who opened fire on the southern Gaza Strip refugee camp of Khan Younis, Palestinian security and medical officials said.

An Israeli special unit also swept into Khan Younis city And abducted Mohamed Zakaria Agha. The unit members gave no motive for the abduction.

An Israeli army spokeswoman claimed Palestinian gunmen in the area had twice opened fire earlier in the day and that troops had shot back.

Five home-made mortars were also fired early Wednesday at a nearby settlement, Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted the spokeswoman as saying.

The houses of Khan Yunis facing the Jewish settlements are riddled with bullet holes and scars from shell fire, while the settlements themselves are heavily defended with concrete walls and military posts.

The boy's death brought to 3,211 the number of people killed since the Palestinian Intifada against occupation erupted in September 2000, including 2,421 Palestinians and 730 Israelis.

The Israeli army also shelled different areas of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, May 6, and abducted Palestinian fishermen off the Strip coast after wrecking their boat.

Hamas Activist Killed

In another related development, an Islamic resistance movement Hamas activist was killed Wednesday in an explosion near Nablus, in the northern West Bank, Palestinian sources said.

An Israeli tank fired a shell at Amin Fadel while standing on the doorstep of his house in Zawata village to the West of Nablus, Palestinian security sources told IslamOnline.net. Fadel died immediately and his body parties flied into the air.

Fadel’s mother and brothers had been earlier abducted by Israel in a bid to pressure him into surrender after being blamed for attacks on Jewish settlers.

Residents of Zawata were quoted as saying that Israeli troops had imposed a curfew in the village on Wednesday morning. They said they heard gunshots followed by an explosion from the apartment building in which Fadel was hiding.

Israeli forces have also killed scores of Palestinian fighters in what they say are attempts to thwart bombings and other attacks. Palestinians describe the killings as state-sponsored assassinations.

Meanwhile, Israel celebrated the 55th anniversary of its establishment on the Palestinian lands in the day with fireworks flashing in the air, and has increased restrictions on the West Bank and Gaza Strip in fear of fresh attacks.

The Jewish state was created on territories occupied after the 1948 war with Arabs, which also made Palestinian resistance groups to come into existence with a determinant struggle to end a long-standing occupation.

Next week, Palestinians will mark their Naqba, or catastrophe, commemorating the loss of lands and forced dispersal when Israel was established.