BICOM

In the early hours of Saturday (2/4), Israel Air Force planes carried out an air strike on the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis. Three senior Hamas members were killed in the attack. The IDF later issued a statement saying that the men killed were members of a terror cell, which was planning to kidnap Israelis over the upcoming Passover holiday, in Israel and in the Sinai area. Hamas described the operation as a ‘crime’ and a ‘serious escalation’ of the recent violence in Gaza.

Over the last two months, the level of violence in the Gaza area has risen to the highest point since Operation Cast Lead, with Hamas and other groups launching rockets, mortars and missiles at Israeli communities. Last week, however, a decline in tension was noted and reports indicted a willingness of Palestinian groups to accept an unofficial ceasefire. The Izz a-Din el-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, along with 13 other organisations, issued a declaration on Monday (4/4) that the air attack would be avenged ‘at the appropriate time.’