ISRAELI AIRCRAFT hit Gaza last night, killing at least six Palestinians after a co-ordinated series of attacks by militants in the south of Israel killed seven Israelis and wounded more than 20.
Seven gunmen were also killed – five by Israeli special forces and two by Egyptian troops across the border.
The deadliest attack during the 2½ years of the government of Benjamin Netanyahu began at midday when gunmen opened fire on a bus north of the Red Sea resort of Eilat, currently packed with summer holidaymakers. The vehicle was sprayed with bullets and a number of passengers were hit, but the driver managed to keep driving.
The three gunmen, who were well armed and were carrying explosive belts, fled the scene.
Shortly afterwards, on the same road leading to Eilat, rocket-propelled grenades were fired at another bus and a car. The car was hit, killing a number of people.
In a separate incident, a mine was detonated, damaging a military vehicle that was heading towards the scene of the bus attack. Mortar shells were also fired from the Egyptian Sinai.
With the attacks occurring in quick succession, Israeli special forces were helicoptered to the remote desert site and in the ensuing firefights killed four gunmen as a fifth man detonated his explosive belt, dying instantly. Another two militants were killed by Egyptian troops across the border.
Israeli security officials believe another three to eight gunmen were involved in the attacks, operating from the Egyptian side of the border. Among the Israelis killed were two children and a soldier.
In a brief televised statement last night, Mr Netanyahu said Israel had already hit back in Gaza, killing those who planned yesterday’s attacks.
“If anyone thinks that Israel will accept this, they are mistaken. We set a policy that when Israeli civilians are killed, we respond immediately and forcefully. Israel will extract a very high price from the terrorist organisations.”
Defence minister Ehud Barak spoke to journalists at the scene of the attacks but his comments ended abruptly as more firing occurred nearby and an Israeli soldier was seriously wounded.
Israel blamed the Popular Resistance Committees, a small militant group operating from Gaza, and said the aim of the meticulously planned operation was to kidnap an Israeli soldier and smuggle him to Gaza via the Sinai.
The Israeli response was not long in coming.
Aircraft hit a building in the southern Gaza town of Rafah, killing Abu Oud al-Nirab, the senior commander of the Popular Resistance Committees, and three other senior members of the group, along with a child.
Earlier Hamas officials had denied any involvement in the attacks inside Israel and warned of a “forceful response” if Israel struck Gaza during Ramadan.
Israeli security officials said recent intelligence information indicated a terror cell was active in the Sinai and Israel had beefed up security along the border.
Last year Israel began construction of a fence along the border with Egypt, designed to keep out terrorists and African migrants, thousands of whom have crossed into Israel along the porous border in recent years. It will be two years before the barrier is complete. Israeli officials noted with concern growing lawlessness in the Sinai since the fall from power of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in February. Local Bedouin are in effective control of large areas and Islamic militants can cross from Gaza with relative ease. The Sinai pipeline carrying natural gas from Egypt to Israel has been sabotaged repeatedly over the last few months.
In recent days the Egyptian army sent reinforcements to the area in an effort to restore law and order.