Hamas killing has 'opened gates of hell'

Palestinian firefighters extinguish fire from the car of Ahmaed Jaabari, head of the military wing of the Hamas movement, the Ezzedin Qassam Brigades, after it was hit by an Israeli air strike in Gaza City. Source: AFP

AN ISRAELI air strike that killed top Hamas military commander Ahmed al-Jaabari overnight had "opened the gates of hell," the Islamic group said.

"The occupation has opened the gates of hell on itself," said a statement from the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, which vowed its militants would "continue the path of resistance."

Israel's Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency and the military confirmed the operation.

"During a joint operation of the General Security Service (Shin Bet) and the IDF (army) today, Ahmed Jaabari, the senior commander of the military wing of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, was targeted," a statement from the Shin Bet said.

"In the past hour, the IDF targeted Ahmed Jaabari, the head of Hamas's military wing, in the Gaza Strip," the military added in a statement, saying Jaabari "was a senior Hamas operative... directly responsible for executing terror attacks."

"The purpose of this operation was to severely impair the command and control chain of the Hamas leadership, as well as its terrorist infrastructure."

Military spokeswoman Avital Leibovich said the strike was the start of an operation targeting armed groups in Gaza following multiple rocket attacks on southern Israel.

"The IDF started an operation against terror organisations in Gaza due to the ongoing attacks against Israeli civilians," she said on her Twitter account.

The killing of Jaabari sparked furious protests in Gaza City, with hundreds of members of Hamas and its armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, chanting for revenge inside Shifa hospital.

It also came as a position paper from Israel's foreign ministry proposed "toppling" Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas if Palestine becomes a recognised state.

"Toppling Abu Mazen's (Abbas's) regime would be the only option in this case," the paper obtained by AFP says.

"Any other option ... would mean waving a white flag and admitting the failure of the Israeli leadership to deal with the challenge."

The position paper is a draft document that is expected to be endorsed by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who would then present it to the Israeli officials charged with formulating Israel's response to the Palestinian bid.

Mr Lieberman has already reportedly expressed his view that Mr Abbas's Palestinian Authority should be dismantled if the UN bid succeeds.

The Palestinians are scheduled to present their bid for state observer status at the general assembly on November 29, where they are expected to easily win approval, despite opposition from the United States and Israel.

The bid comes slightly more than a year after the Palestinians sought full UN membership at the security council, a request that stalled there because of opposition from the United States, a permanent member and veto-holder.

The ministry paper warns that Israel "must extract a high price from Abu Mazen," and that receiving state status at the UN "would be considered a crossing of a red line."

Israel's Channel 10 reported on November 5 that Mr Lieberman had backed the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority, in comments to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

"If the Palestinians pursue their project at the UN, they are definitively destroying the chances of peace talks," the station quoted Lieberman as saying on October 24.

"If they persist with this project, I will ensure that the Palestinian Authority collapses."

A senior Israeli official said on Wednesday that Israel is also considering annulling part or all of the 1993 Oslo Accords in response to the UN bid.

The 1993 Oslo accords were intended to pave the way for a full resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority, which was to govern parts of the occupied West Bank and Gaza until a final agreement.

Israel and Washington fiercely oppose any Palestinian action at the United Nations, and US President Barack Obama called Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas earlier this week to reiterate his opposition.

But the Palestinians have confirmed they will push ahead with the plan, saying that enhanced UN status does not contradict peace efforts, and pointing out that direct talks have been on hold since late September 2010.

Meanwhile, Palestinians rallied across the West Bank, a day before the 24th anniversary of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's independence declaration.

Thousands of Palestinians were taking place in demonstrations blocking roads near the West Bank towns of Bethlehem, Jericho and Ramallah.

Chanting "Free Palestine," they carried banners supporting a Palestinian bid later this month to obtain state observer status at the United Nations.

In Atara, north of Ramallah, and at a checkpoint by the city of Bethlehem, Israeli forces fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.

An Israeli army spokesman said that "approximately 200 people - Palestinians and international activists - were throwing stones" near Jericho.

"The military force at the site is not reacting with riot dispersal means," the spokesman said, "and one soldier was lightly wounded by rocks. The soldiers are reacting with moderation."

With AP
 

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