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Israeli troops respond to attack that killed 4Hamas blames Israel for blast that left 6 militants dead
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- In the aftermath of a weekend attack that killed four of its soldiers, Israeli troops were active overnight in Gaza, Israeli military and Palestinian sources said. Late Sunday, Israeli soldiers destroyed the home of a Hamas commander for northern Gaza, an IDF spokeswoman said. According to the IDF, its troops, operating west of Jabalia, destroyed the house of Ahmed Raandol, commander of Hamas in northern Gaza, for his involvement in the bombing of an Israeli tank. The spokeswoman said IDF troops came under fire and returned fire. There was no mention of casualties. Izzedine al-Qassam claimed responsibility Saturday for an explosive device that destroyed the tank near the Israeli settlement of Dugit in Gaza, killing four soldiers. In response, Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz on Sunday vowed to damage the Hamas infrastructure in Gaza. IDF also said Raandol was involved in a previous attack in which three other Israeli soldiers were killed. Soldiers destroy house of Hamas activistsPalestinian sources said Israeli soldiers in two Apache helicopters late Sunday fired shots into the air and into a field near Bet Laht in Gaza, about 10 miles from Gaza City. The sources said Israeli troops in tanks and other vehicles then moved to Ell Twom, a neighborhood north of Gaza City, and used explosives to destroy a house believed to belong to Hamas activists. Palestinian sources said two men were killed when the house was destroyed: Mohamed Khadar, 25, a soldier in the Palestinian National Guard; and Khalil Bakri, 24, a policeman.
Three others were injured in the explosion, the sources said. An eyewitness then reported seeing the tanks pull out of Gaza. Earlier Sunday, Hamas blamed Israel for an explosion that killed six militants and wounded three others in the Gaza neighborhood of al-Zeitun, and vowed to avenge the "assassinations." Palestinian sources said Hamas members were inspecting a small remote-control airplane when it exploded, killing the six. There was no evidence of an Israeli attack, and it was possible the men were assembling a bomb that exploded prematurely. The IDF said it had no comment on the explosion. Hospital officials, Palestinian security officials and Hamas said the six dead belonged to Izzedine al-Qassam, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist group that the U.S. State Department has labeled a terrorist organization. In the West Bank, two Palestinians were killed Sunday in a clash with the Israeli military in Nablus, according to the Red Crescent. The IDF confirmed its forces "hit" two militants but did not confirm their deaths.
The Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees reported 18 other Palestinians were wounded, including a volunteer and a driver for one of the Palestinian ambulances on the scene. Five of them were in serious condition. The Palestinians said an IDF force had surrounded a building in the city center in an attempt to arrest its occupants when it came under fire from Palestinian gunmen. Israeli military sources said one soldier was lightly wounded during the clash. A senior Palestinian militant and three other Palestinians were arrested, the sources said. Palestinian delegation to travel to LondonAlso Sunday, Israel agreed to allow a Palestinian Authority delegation to attend talks in London, England, this week, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman said. Last month, Israel said it would block the Palestinian delegation from attending the British-initiated conference to discuss changes in the Palestinian Authority after a double suicide bombing in Tel Aviv killed 23 people and wounded dozens more. The Israeli and Palestinian delegations will participate in an economic conference on the Palestinian Authority. Also this week in London, the Mideast Quartet -- the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations -- will discuss its road map toward a Palestinian state. Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat announced Friday that he would appoint a prime minister, meeting one of the group's key demands. -- Journalist Talal Abu Rahma contributed to this report.
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