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Israel Vows to Keep Hitting Jihadists 11/13 06:24
IGAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) -- Israeli airstrikes killed more Islamic Jihad
militants in Gaza on Wednesday as rocket fire toward Israel resumed after a
brief overnight lull, raising the death toll in the strip to 18 Palestinians in
the heaviest round of fighting in months.
The military said more than 250 rockets have been fired at Israeli
communities since the violence erupted following an Israeli airstrike that
killed a senior Islamic Jihad commander accused of being the mastermind of
recent attacks. Israel stepped up its battle against Iran and its proxies
across the region.
The latest fighting brought life in much of Israel to a standstill. Schools
remained closed in Israeli communities near the Gaza border and restrictions on
public gatherings continued as rockets rained down.
Those attacks came after the early morning strike on Tuesday killed Bahaa
Abu el-Atta and his wife as they were sleeping. Rocket fire from Gaza reached
as far north as Tel Aviv, and two people were wounded by shrapnel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a special Cabinet meeting that Israel
has no interest in sparking a wider confrontation but warned the Iranian-backed
Islamic Jihad that Israel will keep pounding them until the rockets stop.
"They know we will continue to strike them without mercy," Netanyahu said.
"They have one choice: either stop these attacks or absorb more and more blows."
Gaza's Hamas rulers have yet to enter the fray --- a possible sign the
current round of violence could be brief. Although larger and more powerful
than Islamic Jihad, Hamas is also more pragmatic. With Gaza's economy in
tatters, it appears to have little desire for more fighting with Israel.
U.N. Mideast envoy Nickolay Mladenov arrived in Cairo from Tel Aviv on
Wednesday in efforts to deescalate the latest Israel-Gaza violence. He was to
meet President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Egyptian officials said, speaking on
condition of anonymity under regulations.
Egypt, which frequently mediates between Israel and Gaza militants, has been
working to de-escalate tensions. The Islamic Jihad rejected the efforts, with
spokesman Musab al-Berim saying the group's priority is to "respond to the
crime and confront the Israeli aggression."
Seeking to keep the outburst under control, the Israeli military has
restricted its operations to Islamic Jihad, and nearly all the Gaza casualties
so far have been members of the militant group.
Israel's new defense minister said Israel wouldn't hesitate to carry out
additional targeted killings against those who threaten it.
"Whoever plans to harm us during the day, will never be safe to make it
through the night," he said after taking office Tuesday.
Netanyahu appointed him to fortify his hard-line political base as he clings
to office after two inconclusive elections. Bennett has long advocated tougher
action against Palestinian militants but wasn't part of the plans to strike Abu
el-Atta.
No Israeli deaths have been caused by the rockets attacks, mostly thanks to
Israel's Iron Dome defense system, which the military said intercepted some 90%
of the projectiles. A few homes suffered direct strikes, though, and there was
a near miss on a major highway, where a rocket crashed down just after a
vehicle had passed.
In Gaza, the Islamic Jihad said 38-year-old Khaled Faraj, a brigade
commander, was killed early Wednesday along with another militant from the
group's Quds radio network. Four others were killed in an airstrike, including
a father and two sons, and two others were targeted later. Their identities
were unclear.
Along with Tuesday's pre-dawn strike in Gaza, another strike attributed to
Israel targeted a senior Islamic Jihad commander based in Syria. The strikes
appeared to be a new surge in the open warfare between Israel and Iranian
proxies in the region.
Iran has forces based in Syria, Israel's northern neighbor, and supports
Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. In Gaza, it supplies Islamic Jihad with cash,
weapons and expertise.
Netanyahu has also claimed Iran is using Iraq and far-off Yemen, where
Tehran supports Shiite Houthi rebels at war with a Saudi-led coalition backing
the government, to plan attacks against Israel. Hamas also receives some
support from Iran.
Israel frequently strikes Iranian interests in Syria but Tuesday's attack in
Damascus appeared to be a rare assassination attempt there of a Palestinian
militant.
Despite the disruption to daily life, there appeared to be widespread
support in Israel for the targeting of Abu el-Atta --- a "ticking bomb" who was
actively orchestrating new attacks, according to officials. Netanyahu said the
military operation was approved by the Cabinet 10 days in advance.
"We showed that we can strike terrorists with minimum damage to innocents,"
Netanyahu said. "Anyone who harms us, we will harm them."
Still, some opposition figures suggested the timing could not be divorced
from the political reality in Israel, where Netanyahu leads a caretaker
government while his chief challenger, former military chief Benny Gantz, is
currently trying to build a coalition government of his own.
Despite their rivalry, both men support a unity government, but each demands
that he lead such a government.
Gantz said he'd been briefed on the airstrike in advance, calling it "the
right decision." Netanyahu updated his rival on developments later, according
to his office. But a successful military operation could bolster Netanyahu as
he seeks to hold onto power --- especially if he is indicted on corruption
charges.
Israel's attorney general is to decide in the coming weeks whether to indict
Netanyahu. An indictment would increase pressure on him to step aside.
Netanyahu has sought to portray himself as one best capable of steering the
country through its many security challenges.
(KR)
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