GAZA CITY, 18 July 2006 — For the second time in a week, an Israeli F-16 jet yesterday bombed the Palestinian Foreign Ministry in Gaza, demolishing the building and increasing the pressure on the Hamas government three weeks after the capture of a soldier.
With Israel showing no let-up in its deadly offensive, launched with the twin aims of retrieving 19-year-old Cpl. Gilad Shalit and stopping Palestinian rocket fire, a civilian was killed by tank fire in Beit Hanoun.
Israeli troops have been operating for the past two days in the northern town, where three gunmen were wounded in attacks yesterday and others managed to fire six rockets into southern Israel in retaliation.
Operation Summer Rain has now left at least 85 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier dead. Israel confirmed the overnight attack on the Foreign Ministry, accusing Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar, a leading member of Hamas, whose armed wing was jointly responsible for Shalit’s capture, of planning “terrorist attacks.”
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Israeli attacks on ministries “prove these actions are to paralyze the work of the Palestinian government and to destroy the foundations of the Palestinian political system.” An F-16 jet fired a missile on the building, which had already been badly damaged in a raid Thursday, pancaking the five-story ministry and causing extensive damage to the neighboring planning and finance ministries.
“It was headed by Mahmoud Zahar, a senior member of Hamas involved in the planning of terror attacks and general activity of the Hamas terror organization,” an Israeli spokesman said.
Three residents of nearby houses were also wounded in the aerial attack, medical and security sources said. Israel has already bombed the Gaza offices of Haniyeh and those of his Interior Minister Said Siam this month. Ground troops have also rounded up a third of the Hamas Cabinet in the occupied West Bank, although one of the ministers has since been released.
Other overnight airstrikes targeted a security post used by a special Hamas paramilitary force in the refugee camp of Jabaliya and wounded two gunmen.
— With input from agencies
