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| Israeli Gaza air strikes kill militant leader | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A senior Palestinian militant leader has been killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza, Israeli and Palestinian sources say. | A senior Palestinian militant leader has been killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza, Israeli and Palestinian sources say. |
| Zohair al-Qaisi, secretary general of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), was targeted because he was planning an attack, the Israelis said. | Zohair al-Qaisi, secretary general of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), was targeted because he was planning an attack, the Israelis said. |
| Another militant was also killed. | Another militant was also killed. |
| The Israeli military later confirmed a second air strike killed two more people it says were preparing to fire rockets into Israel. | |
| The PRC, which represents a number of armed factions aligned with Hamas, has carried out several rocket and grenade attacks against Israel. | The PRC, which represents a number of armed factions aligned with Hamas, has carried out several rocket and grenade attacks against Israel. |
| Palestinian sources said the second militant was Mahmoud Hanani, who was released from an Israeli prison five years ago and sent to Gaza. | Palestinian sources said the second militant was Mahmoud Hanani, who was released from an Israeli prison five years ago and sent to Gaza. |
| Earlier sources had wrongly said he was among those released under a prisoner exchange deal which led to the release of the captured soldier Gilad Shalit. | Earlier sources had wrongly said he was among those released under a prisoner exchange deal which led to the release of the captured soldier Gilad Shalit. |
| There is nothing new in Israel's use of its air power to target a Palestinian commander in Gaza. | There is nothing new in Israel's use of its air power to target a Palestinian commander in Gaza. |
| Zohair al-Qaisi only took over as head of the Popular Resistance Committees when his predecessor in the role died in the same manner last August. And he had already survived an unexplained explosion at his family home in Gaza earlier this year in which at least one person died. | Zohair al-Qaisi only took over as head of the Popular Resistance Committees when his predecessor in the role died in the same manner last August. And he had already survived an unexplained explosion at his family home in Gaza earlier this year in which at least one person died. |
| This latest air strike may have been a direct response to the firing of two mortar shells from Gaza into Israel a few hours earlier. | This latest air strike may have been a direct response to the firing of two mortar shells from Gaza into Israel a few hours earlier. |
| But Israel blames Zohair al-Qaisi for a much larger and more significant assault last summer, a wave of gun and bomb attacks in a single day near the country's southern border with Egypt which left eight Israelis dead. | But Israel blames Zohair al-Qaisi for a much larger and more significant assault last summer, a wave of gun and bomb attacks in a single day near the country's southern border with Egypt which left eight Israelis dead. |
| Ten attackers and five Egyptian soldiers were killed. | Ten attackers and five Egyptian soldiers were killed. |
| The incident was regarded in Israel as an unnerving breach of security, hence the determination to punish those held responsible by the Israeli authorities. | The incident was regarded in Israel as an unnerving breach of security, hence the determination to punish those held responsible by the Israeli authorities. |
| Medical sources say a third man was seriously injured in the attack, near Gaza City. | Medical sources say a third man was seriously injured in the attack, near Gaza City. |
| Witnesses say Israeli drones were heard in the area shortly before the car burst into flames, Associated Press reports. | Witnesses say Israeli drones were heard in the area shortly before the car burst into flames, Associated Press reports. |
| The air-strike came a few hours after two mortar shells fired from Gaza landed in Israel without causing injury. | The air-strike came a few hours after two mortar shells fired from Gaza landed in Israel without causing injury. |
| An Israeli military spokesman said Mr Qaisi was behind a series of gun and bomb attacks near Israel's border with Egypt last year, in which eight Israelis were killed. | An Israeli military spokesman said Mr Qaisi was behind a series of gun and bomb attacks near Israel's border with Egypt last year, in which eight Israelis were killed. |
| Ten of the attackers and five Egyptian soldiers also died. | Ten of the attackers and five Egyptian soldiers also died. |
| A spokesman for the PRC in Gaza vowed to take revenge on Israel for the attack. | A spokesman for the PRC in Gaza vowed to take revenge on Israel for the attack. |
| The PRC is a coalition of armed factions in Gaza that is loyal to Hamas but sometimes operates separately. | The PRC is a coalition of armed factions in Gaza that is loyal to Hamas but sometimes operates separately. |
| The BBC's Middle East correspondent Kevin Connolly says it is behind many of the mortar and rocket attacks which continue to be launched against Israeli towns from inside Gaza. | The BBC's Middle East correspondent Kevin Connolly says it is behind many of the mortar and rocket attacks which continue to be launched against Israeli towns from inside Gaza. |
| The former head of the PRC, Kamal al-Nairab, and its military chief were killed in a similar Israeli attack last year. | The former head of the PRC, Kamal al-Nairab, and its military chief were killed in a similar Israeli attack last year. |