Israeli Air Force carried several air strikes late Wednesday
night until Thursday morning, targeting a number of houses that belong
to families of resistance fighters; five civilians were injured; some seriously.
The attacks came shortly after the Palestinian resistance groups resumed its homemade Qassam shell firing at Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip, which killed one Israeli woman and injured several others. Palestinian resistance fighters resumed the shelling in retaliation of the Israeli military offensive "Autumn Clouds" that claimed the lives of 95 civilians in the Gaza Strip, mainly in Beit Hanoun.
The house of Issam Madi, a member of Al Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, was the first to be targeted. Located in Al Shobra refugee camp in Rafah City in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, the home was leveled to the ground, late Wednesday night. Five civilians were injured, some critically; the shelling also damaged neighboring houses.
Around the same time, the house of Abdullah Abed Rabbo from Islamic Jihad was targeted by jet fighters. His house was also completely destroyed. The family escaped just minutes before the deadly air attack after receiving a phone call from the army ordering them to leave or die.
Later during the night, the house of Mohamed AL Sharafi, from the Popular Resistance Committee, located in Al Shat'e refugee camp west of Gaza City, was hit with several missiles fired by an Israeli warplane; the house sustained collateral damage and neighboring houses also were damaged, but no injures were reported. The family said that the army called them and ordered them to leave only minutes before the air strike.
Israeli jet fighters continued to target houses during the early hours of Thursday morning. The fourth home to be targeted was located in Tal Al Za'tar area in the northern Gaza Strip; it belongs to Nahro Mas'uod, a leader of Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, The house was leveled to the ground and again, the family barely escaped with their lives. They reported that the army called them a few minutes before the attack, giving them time only to run for their lives leaving all their belongings behind.
With this house Israeli air strikes subsided for the time being. The Israeli government gave the army the green light to expand its military attack on the Gaza Strip while Palestinian resistance groups vowed to continue the resistance.
