Up to six Palestinians killed during assault on Rafah hours after attack in southern Israel leaves at least seven dead
Israeli civilians and soldiers came under sustained attack on Thursday from militants in the south of the country in a co-ordinated and audacious three-pronged, three-hour assault that left at least seven Israelis dead and about 40 injured.
The Israeli government and military said the assailants came from Gaza, and promised to use "full force" in retaliation. Hamas denied it was responsible and said it would defend Gaza with "all its strength".
Within hours the Israelis had made good their promise, killing up to six Palestinians in an airstrike on Rafah, the Gaza town next to the border with Egypt. The dead were said to include the commander of the Popular Resistance Committees, Kamal Abu Abed al-Nairab, and a three-year-old child.
In southern Israel, gunfire erupted again in the evening, with two people reported to be critically wounded. Early this morning, AP reported two explosions in Gaza City which Palestinan sources said were the result of further Israeli bombardment. There was no confirmation from Israeli sources.
Earlier, six Israeli civilians and one soldier were killed in the worst attacks in Israel for at least three years. Roads were closed as a major manhunt got under way and tourists were advised to avoid the nearby Israeli Red Sea resort of Eilat. The Israeli military chief of staff travelled to the area, and prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu pledged a swift response.
Israel's defence minister, Ehud Barak, highlighted concern about the new Egyptian government's grip on Sinai, a vast and unruly desert area mainly inhabited by Bedouin. "The incident underscores the weak Egyptian hold on Sinai and the broadening of the activities of terrorists," he said. But, he added, "the real source of the terror is in Gaza and we will act against them with full force".
The governor of North Sinai, Abdel Wahab Mabruk, denied that militants had slipped into Egypt through a tunnel network with Gaza, saying there were intense security measures because of military operations targeting militants in Sinai.
The first attack, on the 392 bus between Be'er Sheva and Eilat, began around noon. Three occupants of a car following the bus, which was carrying civilians and soldiers, opened fire with Kalashnikovs.
"We heard a shot and saw a window explode," Idan Kaner, a passenger, told Israel's Channel 2. "After another shot, there was chaos in the bus and everyone jumped on everyone else."
TV pictures showed shattered glass, blood stains and abandoned luggage inside the bus. The attack took place on Highway 12, about 12 miles north of Eilat.
In the second incident, a military vehicle several miles away was hit by a roadside bomb, and mortars were fired at civilian workers building a security fence along Israel's border with Egypt.
The third incident was a gun battle between Israeli forces and militants. "We targeted seven terrorists," an IDF spokeswoman, Avital Leibovich, said. The three incidents constituted "the biggest multiple attack in the south of Israel in the past few years", she said.
Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said the intelligence agencies were certain that the attackers came from Gaza. "This is not speculation, not conjecture, not joining the dots. They are sure these terrorists left Gaza."
Eilat has been the scene of previous attacks, leading Israel to approve the construction of a security fence along two sections of the border 18 months ago. So far only about 10% of the fencing has been completed.
"There is a modus operandi we've seen before," said an Israeli government official. Following previous attacks in the area Israel has said that militants have travelled from Gaza to Egypt and then re-entered Israel further south. "The border is still porous in many places," the official said.
It was too early to speculate which organisation was behind the attacks, he added. "But because Hamas is in control of Gaza, we won't let them subcontract terrorism. They are responsible for terrorism emanating from their territory."
The IDF said it was premature to say whether the attacks were the work of al-Qaida, which Israel claims is active in Gaza. Some reports suggested the Popular Resistance Committees was responsible.
Israeli sources expressed concern about the security situation in Sinai. "We have seen the Egyptian government has challenges in exercising its authority," said the Israeli official, who added there was a "power vacuum" in Sinai. "Different terrorist groups have been able to exploit that ? and that's bad for Israel, bad for Egypt and a potential global problem."
Egypt denied any involvement and said there had been no fire across the border. "Egypt was in no way involved in the incident since it is difficult to penetrate the Egypt-Israel border," an official told local media.
The White House said: "We condemn the brutal terrorist attacks ? the US and Israel stand united against terror and we hope that those behind this will be brought to justice swiftly."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/18/israel-air-strikes-gaza-eilat-attacks
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