IDF aircraft demolished the Hamas-run Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry Thursday morning. The offices, run by Hamas official Aumad Mahmoud A-Zahar, are located in northern Gaza. An IDF statement following the missile strike explaining succinctly: “A-Zahar plans and directs terrorist attacks. Hamas is a terror organization which regularly plans and carries out attacks against Israel, including attacks carried out in recent weeks. The IDF will continue to act with determination and to employ all means at its disposal against Palestinian terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip to create the conditions for the return of Cpl. Gilad Shalit and to stop terror attacks and the launching of rockets towards Israel.”



On Wednesday, four aerial attacks were carried out on cells of armed terrorists in central Gaza. A terrorist planting an explosive device near the Kissufim road to Gush Katif was also shot and killed.



The IDF also continued shelling open areas in southern and central Gaza used by terror groups to launch Kassam rockets onto towns in the western Negev. Navy ships shelled similar sites in northern Gaza.



Muhammah Deif, the terror-chief targeted by the IDF Wednesday, is now reported to have suffered a serious wound to his back, and is partially paralyzed. Hamas had initially made efforts to obscure Deif’s injuries, saying he escaped the targeted attack unscathed.



Despite the ongoing fighting, the IDF opened the Karni and Nahal Oz crossings on orders from the political echelon, despite concrete threats of attacks, in order to allow food and fuel into Gaza.



At the Karni crossing, over 100 truckloads of food and 14 generators were allowed in and at the Nahal Oz fuel terminal, 500,000 liters of diesel, 100,000 liters of gasoline and 125 tons of natural gas were allowed in. Earlier in the week, more than 265 tons of food, a truckload of medicine, over a 1,000,000 liters of fuel, 65,000 liters of chlorine and additional supplies were transferred in. Last week, more than 200 truckloads of food, 1,500,000 liters of fuel, and over 400 tons of natural gas passed into Gaza. Israel also continues to provide Gaza with an uninterrupted supply of water.