Renewing targeted assassination, an Israeli airstrike todaykilled Islamist Hamas' top military commander in the Gaza Strip, evoking warcries from militant Palestinian faction that vowed revenge by committingsuicide attacks in Israel.
Islamist Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip since June2007, said Ahmed Al-Jabari, who headed the organisation's armed wing, the Izzal-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, died along with his son after their car was targetedby an Israeli missile.
"The occupation has opened the gates of hell onitself," the militant faction said after the assassination.
"The resistance's options are now open and they includesuicide attacks and quality attacks in Israel cities," Ismail al-Ashkar ofHamas said vowing revenge.
lsrael Defence Forces (IDF) said Jabari's assassinationmarks the beginning of Operation Cloud Pillar against Gaza terrorists.
Israel's Air Force also pounded some twenty sites in thecoastal Strip which were termed as rocket launching pads by the army as apre-emtive measure to prevent rocket and mortar attacks.
Gaza militants have fired about 100 rockets and mortars onIsrael's southern areas in the last five days.
The attack came amid signals that Egypt was about to brokeranother informal truce.
IDF also launched tank attacks amid speculations that anescalation could even lead to a ground operation by Israel in Gaza.
IDF has decided to deploy additional infantry units in thesouth ahead of any such move.
Palestinian sources said that some six people were killed inthe aerial attacks that followed Jabari's assassination.
They claimed that Israel also tried to kill Ra'ad al-Atar,another senior Izz al-Din al-Qassam commander, who survived the attack.
