Israel Fires at Gaza, Kills 2 Palestinian Teenagers
By teleSUR
20 February 18
The Israeli Defense Forces shot at different Hamas military positions,
killing two 17-year-old teenagers in Rafah.
Israeli military officers have fired at 18 targets in the Gaza Strip,
killing at least two Palestinian teenagers in retaliation for a bomb attack
that wounded four Israeli soldiers.
The two 17-year-old Palestinian victims were killed this morning in Rafah by
tank fire as Israeli troops claimed they were trying to cross the border
into Israel, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
Two other Palestinians were wounded and are currently being treated in
Rafah, one of whom is in critical condition.
Authorities claim the air strikes and tank fire were directed at
weapon-making facilities, training camps and observation posts from Hamas,
the most prominent political party and militant group in Gaza, and Islamic
Jihad, even though no group has claimed responsibility for the original
attack.
Instead, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman declared the Popular
Resistance Committees, PRC, as responsible for the bomb attack. The PRC is a
smaller militant group and has usually been at odds with Hamas, the dominant
political faction.
Lieberman held Hamas responsible for what happened in Gaza anyway, even if
they were not directly responsible. "We will hunt down those responsible for
yesterday's incident," he told Israel Radio on Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they would "respond
appropriately" to the attack.
The army carried out six large-scale attacks on Hamas positions in Beit
Hanoun, Rafa, Deir el-Balah and Khan Younis, allegedly including a tunnel
that leads into Israel.
Several homes were damaged by a F-16 aircraft attack, according to
Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum blamed Israel for the violence. "Hamas holds
the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the consequences of its
continued escalation against our people," said Barhoum.
In 2014, Israel launched a military offensive against the Gaza strip, called
"Operation Protective Edge." The seven-week-long attack killed more than
2,250 people, the vast majority of whom were civilians. Israeli Defense
Forces claimed they were targeting Hamas military positions.
Israeli authorities are keeping Gaza under siege, with the collaboration of
Egypt, controlling its air space, territorial waters and borders.
During an annual security conference in Munich Sunday, Netanyahu warned they
could soon start a military operation against Iran, which they called "a
threat to world peace."
e-max.it: your social media marketing partner
