The office of the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, said on Thursday that that Israel would step up its response to the firing of homemade shells against Israeli targets; adding that these step include measures which were not taken before.
The statement was released two hours after two Qassam homemade shells landed in an Israeli territory, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip; five soldiers were injured.
Israeli online daily, Haaretz, quoted David Baker, an official at Sharon’s office saying that the shells were fired from an area which Israel evacuated during the Disengagement Plan.
“Israel is compelled to respond, it will take steps which haven’t been taken before”, Baker said.
Also, Baker charged that the Palestinian Authority is not taking any effective measures against the resistance factions.
He did not elaborate on the procedures Israel intends to take, but only said that “necessary measures would be taken”.
Earlier on Thursday, Israeli soldiers shelled several areas in the northern Gaza Strip, one resident was killed, several others where injured.
The killed resident was identified as Ibrahim Ahamd Al Na’na, 21 years old.
Israeli military officials said that the shelling is part of the Israeli response to the firing of homemade shells on southern Israel earlier on Thursday.
The five soldiers received medical treatment at the scene and were later transferred to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon.
The military wing of the Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for firing the shells.
The first Qassam homemade shell landed south of Ashkelon, Israel Radio reported, hitting an open area near the city’s industrial zone.
Earlier on Thursday, soldiers assassinated three resistance fighters in the West Bank city of Nablus.
The assassinated fighters were identified as Bashar Hanani, leader of Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Musa’ed Anas Al Sheikh, and Ahmad Al Jayyousi; both are members of the Al Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of Fateh.
Dr. Ghassan Hamdan, head of the Palestinian Medical Relief in Nablus, said that he was able to enter the building were the three fighters were killed. He examined their bodies and found out that they were repeatedly shot to several parts of their bodies.
Hamdan added that the three residents bled to dearth after the army barred medical teams from reaching them.
