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| Israel-Palestine |
| Air strikes will open the doors of hell: HAMAS |
| 2005-07-16 |
| ISRAEL has killed six Hamas gunmen in response to a deadly Palestinian rocket barrage and resumed its assassination policy against militants. The Islamic group Hamas, sworn to Israel's destruction, said back-to-back missile strikes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that killed five of the gunmen would "open the doors of hell" on Israel. It also said it was reconsidering its commitment to a five-month-old ceasefire between the two sides. Palestinian gunmen have in the past few days bombarded Israelis in and around Gaza with rockets and mortar bombs, in what they said were responses to Israeli killings of militants. An Israeli air strike killed a Hamas gunman in the West Bank and another killed four militants in a car in Gaza City, which Hamas officials said carried makeshift rockets. A third strike wounded a gunman from the group in southern Gaza. Hours later, Israeli troops shot dead a Hamas gunman during a clash in the West Bank, a Palestinian security source said. The Israel army said it targeted "wanted terrorists" in the West Bank and the Hamas men hit in Gaza intended to carry out rocket attacks. The flare-up, one of the worst since Israel and the Palestinian Authority declared an end to hostilities in February, raised the prospect of disruption to Israel's planned pullout of settlers from occupied Gaza next month. Hours after the strikes, Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz met security officials to discuss Israel's plan of action regarding recent rocket barrages. The Palestinian Authority said air raids would serve only to escalate the violence. Israeli television later showed military vehicles massing around Gaza. News reports quoted security sources as saying Israel might raid militant strongholds in the area in the coming days to try to stop rocket launchers. The army had no comment. The surge in bloodshed could also complicate Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw all Jewish settlers from Gaza starting in mid-August, a move international mediators see as a possible springboard to new peace talks. Mr Sharon said Israel would strike against militants, including those from Islamic Jihad, the group behind a suicide bombing that killed five Israelis on earlier this week. Israeli defence officials have vowed not to allow gunmen to disrupt the withdrawal. "The pullout cannot commence under fire," Mr Sharon told Israel's Channel 2 television. "We will take all steps against Islamic Jihad without any limitations. The response to terror acts will be strong and harsh." He added: "There is no chance to reach a peace agreement as long as terror occurs." Israel had reaffirmed its intention to resume what it calls "targeted killings" of top militants following the suicide bombing. It had suspended the internationally condemned policy under the truce. The Israeli strikes followed the killing of a young Israeli woman in a rocket attack that sparked the fiercest internal fighting in years between militants and Palestinian police, who confronted them to try to stop further salvoes. Two bystanders were killed and 26 people wounded in the gunbattles, which raised Palestinian fears of civil war, and the Palestinian Authority declared a state of emergency in Gaza. President Mahmoud Abbas, struggling to salvage the truce and keep control in the face of a growing Hamas challenge, ordered police to act amid Israeli threats of harsh reprisals. |
| Posted by:Spavirt Pheng6042 |
| #12 You know, in order for the jihadi's to do real serious damage, they'd have to manage a sustained barrage...and that's just not going to happen against Israeli counter battery fire. |
| Posted by: Silentbrick 2005-07-16 23:31 |
| #11 Of course it will open the doors of hell! How else would these terrorist murder's get to their 'paradise' after they bravely kill innocent women and children? |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2005-07-16 12:32 |
| #10 Moose..... they did this 6 months ago, not all at once, but for the same reason. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-07-16 12:26 |
| #9 What I'm wondering is why the Israelis insist on being so "touchy-feely" about their targeted assassinations. That is, with these hits they took down 6 Hamas. Why didn't they do a 'night of the long knives' and take down 60? It's not that they don't know where they live. Many of these birds have even done time in Israeli prison, and they probably keep an eye on them after they are "swapped". Imagine the effect if after a month of planning, MOSSAD took out 200 of the top Hamas, Al-Asqa, and even Hizbullah operating in the region: ALL AT ONCE. Just before they moved the settlers out. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-07-16 10:35 |
| #8 Two bystanders were killed and 26 people wounded in the gunbattles Oh, those Lions of Islam! They have a long gun battle and the only casualties are bystanders? Punk-ass paleos .... wotta bunch of losers. It reminds of when a reporter asked Moshe Dayan why he was a successful General and he responded "Well, I fight arabs". Wotta put-down. |
| Posted by: Brett 2005-07-16 10:01 |
| #7 Rantisi's wheelchair is still stuck in the gateway, they've been trying to open it ever since!! Ouch! That's cold, smn. And Hell isn't ADA compliant? Tsk tsk. |
| Posted by: eLarson 2005-07-16 09:37 |
| #6 No. "Oslo accords" oppened the doors of hell. Airstrikes (once they become heavy enough) will close them. |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2005-07-16 09:08 |
| #5 Every genocide bomber who pushes the detonator button opens the door to Hell and jumps through... |
| Posted by: Ptah 2005-07-16 05:57 |
| #4 No mention of Ham-ass'es 'target killing' of innocent men, women, and children at that mall and simular incidents. And I guess those rockets were really 'Palistinian sex toys' right? Oh sorry... these were jews being killed so it doesn't matter... my bad! /SARCASM |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2005-07-16 05:11 |
| #3 Rantisi"s wheelchair is still stuck in the gateway, they've been trying to open it ever since!! |
| Posted by: smn 2005-07-16 00:44 |
| #2 The Gates of Hell will open and the IDF will blow Hamas through them. No virgins in Hell, boys. |
| Posted by: RWV 2005-07-16 00:42 |
| #1 Again! I thought Hamas had the gates of hell(tm) opened last year?!? Are we talking revolving door open, Wonka factory door open, or hobbit hole door opening? It reminds me of Monty Python bluster. If these guys weren't monsters, they'd be funny |
| Posted by: Francis 2005-07-16 00:17 |