An Israeli military apache fired, on Wednesday evening, at least one missile at a car driving in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, killing one of the fighters of the Popular Resistance Committees; six residents were injured, three seriously.
The assassinated fighter was identified as Mahmoud Al Arqan, 28, one of the field leaders of al Nasser Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees.
Abu Malik, one of the leaders of the brigades, said that this crime is part of the Israeli policies against the leaders and fighters, adding that his group is ready to fight against the occupation.
“The assassination of Al Arqan will not pass unpunished”, Abu Malik stated, “we will strike back, and fast”.
An Israeli security source claimed that Al Arqan is responsible for the attack on the Girit outpost last June, prior to Israel’s disengagement from the Gaza Strip, one soldier was killed in the attack; two others were injured.
Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli online daily Haaretz reported that the Israeli army decided to strike specific targets of the Islamic Jihad in retaliation to the Netanya suicide bombing.
The operations will mainly be carried out in Jenin and Tulkarem, north of the west Bank. The army also decided to carry assassinations against resistance fighters and leaders in the coming days.
An Israeli military source reported on Wednesday that Israel intends to strike the infrastructure of the Islamic Jihad in northern West Bank areas.
The operations include increasing the number of forces operating in the West Bank, and escalating the strikes and attacks against specified targets.
