At least six militant Palestinians were killed on Sunday in Israeli attacks in the southern Gaza Strip. Among the dead is also a local commander of the military wing of Islamist Hamas ruling in the coastal strip, the Ministry of Health confirmed in Gaza.
In addition, as the Israeli military said, a soldier died in a gun battle during the action of their special forces, and one more was slightly puzzled. In the early morning it was also said that the action ended and the families of those affected were informed.
Air strikes on the Palestinian slave and rocket fire by militant Palestinians on adjacent settlements in Israel are common. On the other hand, only very rarely does the Israeli military penetrate the ground into the Islamist-controlled Gaza Strip.
Prime Minister Netanyahu returned to Israel prematurely
The incident fueled fears of a new major escalation between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said that Benjamin Netanyahu had cut short his visit to the commemoration of the end of the First World War in France, given the security situation in the south. He is still flying back to his country during the night.
A spokesman for the Hamas military arm, the Kassam Brigades, said that an Israeli special force had advanced three kilometers into the Gaza Strip in a civilian vehicle. The unit killed 37-year-old Hamas commander Nur Baraka at Chan Junis. There was then a violent firefight with militant fighters.
Subsequently, Israeli fighter jets fired at the area to allow the soldiers to retreat. Eyewitnesses told Reuters that about 40 Israeli rockets had been fired. In the air raids five Hamas fighters were killed. Several Palestinians were also injured. At first it was said that a civilian had died as well.
The killed commander was considered responsible for digging tunnels, rocket attacks on Israel, and attacks on Israeli soldiers, according to Palestinian sources.
The Israeli army said there had been an exchange of fire during a deployment in the Gaza Strip. The military emphasized that, contrary to rumors, no Israeli soldiers had been abducted during the incident.
After the attacks in the Gaza Strip, rocket alerts were triggered in Israeli border towns. According to the Israeli army, the missile defense Iron Dome two missiles.
220 dead Palestinians in violent protests since March
More than 220 Palestinians have been killed in violent protests on the Gaza border since March, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health. The protesters call for a lifting of the Gaza blockade that has been going on for more than a decade, as well as a return of Palestinian refugees to areas that today belong to Israel.
The Gaza Strip is home to more than two million people. There is a lack of drinking water and electricity, among other things. The Hamas ruling in the Gaza Strip is classified by the US, the EU and Israel as a terrorist organization.
Egypt recently made an intensive effort to calm the situation. On Thursday, Israel allowed Qatari ambassadors, according to media reports, to bring suitcases of $ 15 million in cash (13 million euros) to the Gaza Strip. This should, among other things, allow Hamas to pay outstanding salaries to its employees in the Gaza Strip.