Israel Air Force (IAF) war planes struck a wanted terrorist in southern Gaza at midday Thursday in retaliation for his attack on an IDF patrol unit that killed a soldier two days earlier.
The target, 25-year-old Machmad Uda Chamdan Samiri, was critically wounded in the strike, according to officials at Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis. A second terrorist who was a passenger in Samiri's vehicle was also injured in the strike.
Local sources claimed that five children were injured as well.
A statement issued shortly after the strike by the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said that Samiri was a known terror operative of the Global Jihad in Gaza. "Samiri is a former Hamas terror operative who received military training with the Hamas," said the IDF.
Samiri was part of the terrorist cell responsible for the detonation of the explosive device near the Kissufim Crossing last Tuesday, which killed an IDF warrant officer and wounded three other soldiers. One officer was seriously wounded in the bombing. In addition, the IDF said that Samiri had participated in the detonation of an explosive device that killed two IDF soldiers near Kissufim in March 2008.
"As the sole authority in the Gaza Strip, Hamas bears full responsibility for all terrorist activity originating from Gaza," said the IDF, adding that Israel "will respond to any terror attacks in accordance with decisions made by the Israeli government."
Mitchell Meets with Ashkenazi
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi met earlier in the day in Tel Aviv with United States Middle East envoy George Mitchell, a follow-up to Mitchell's meetings Wednesday with top government officials.
The Chief of Staff presented Mitchell with the main points of Israeli security operations regarding the Palestinian Authority in Judea and Samaria and the goals of the recent Israeli operation in Gaza.
"In addition, they discussed the security challenges faced by the IDF and Israel, the strategic situation in the Middle East and the need to face the global threat of terror," the IDF said.