Six Hamas activists killed in car bomb attack
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Your support makes all the difference.Hamas accused Israel last night of detonating a car bomb that killed six of the Islamic movement's activists and wounded three in a farm south of Gaza City yesterday.
The dead included Nidal Farkhat, a leading militant, whose brother killed five Jewish students in a Gaza settlement a year ago.
Palestinian witnesses said Sunday's blast was set off by remote control from a pilotless drone flying overhead. An Israeli spokesman lent credence to the report by declining to confirm or deny it. The explosion came as Israel was burying four soldiers killed on Saturday in the Gaza Strip after a roadside bomb, planted by Hamas, blew up their tank.
Israeli tanks entered Gaza City in the early hours of this morning, surrounded the house of a leading militant.Witnesses said about 35 tanks moved into position around a five-storey building in Gaza City where Ahmed Ghandour and his family live. Palestinians said Mr Ghandour is an aide to Hamas' bombmaker, Adnan al-Roul, believed responsible for planning the attack on the tank.
The war of revenge and counter-revenge is escalating. Abdul-Aziz Rantissi, a Hamas spokesman, said last night: "We will retaliate for this new crime, for Israel's new act of terror. They will pay a very expensive price."
Maj-Gen Doron Almog, chief of Israel's southern command, said of the attack on Saturday: "We intend to continue our defensive and offensive operations in a targeted manner against those behind this and other incidents in order to protect residents of the Gaza Strip and the rest of the country."
Meanwhile, in the West Bank city of Nablus yesterday, Israeli troops shot dead three Palestinians and critically wounded a fourth in an exchange of fire. The clash occurred after soldiers arrested Taisir Khaled, a senior activist in the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and three of his followers. Israel accused Palestinian protesters of opening fire. An Israeli officer suffered light wounds.
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