Friday at night, the Israeli air-force fired missiles at a Palestinian vehicle carrying members of the Islamic Jihad; two fighters were killed and one was seriously injured, Palestinian security and medical source reported.
Eyewitnesses reported that an Israeli drone fired at least three missiles at a Palestinian vehicle in Wadi Gaza area; the missiles directly hit the vehicle killing two fighters of the Islamic Jihad while a third fighter suffered serious wounds.
The bodies of the two fighters who were killed in the attack were severely mutilated which made it difficult to identify them immediately.
Later on, the two fighters were identified as Imad Yassin, 27, one of the prominent leaders of the Al Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, and his companion Habeeb Ashour, 28.
The Israeli army confirmed the attack and claimed that the fighters were on their way to fire homemade shells at Israeli settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip. The assassination was carried out approximately at 10 P.M (GMT +3).
Earlier Friday, Israel’s Justice Minister, Haim Ramon, said Israel will escalate its military attack in reaction to firing of homemade shells into Israeli areas close to Gaza.
He threatened that Israel will take “steps that it has not taken yet” but did not specify the nature of these steps.
Also, Member of Knesset Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the extremist right wing party Yisrael Beiteinu called on the army not only to target the leaders of Hamas, but also to target their houses.
Israel carried hundreds of assassinations since the beginning of the Al Aqsa Intifada late 2000, the attacks targeted vehicles in crowded civilians areas and street, in addition to targeting the fighters with missiles fired at their houses.
Assassination are in violation to the international law and the principles of human rights.
