IDF: Militants Fire Rockets into Israel
16th Haifa Bombing Victim Dies

CNN
March 9, 2003

http://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/995/idf-militants-fire-rockets-into-israel

Palestinian militants fired four Qassam rockets Sunday from northern Gaza into a field near the southern Israeli town of Sderot, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

There were no reports of casualties, the IDF said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the missile attack.

Palestinian-built Qassam rockets have a range of six to 10 kilometers (3.72 to 6.2 miles) -- sufficient to hit Israeli cities if fired from the West Bank.

The Israeli army has recently stepped up its operations in Gaza to thwart such rocket attacks.

On Thursday, the Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist group Hamas claimed responsibility for a Qassam attack from northern Gaza on Sderot, which also resulted in no reports of injuries.

Hamas is labeled a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. The group's military wing, Izzedine al Qassam, has admitted responsibility for terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and attacks against the Israeli military.

During overnight operations in the West Bank town of Hebron, Israeli troops demolished the houses of three Palestinians the IDF said were responsible for attacks against Israelis over the past week.

The IDF said one of the houses belonged to the suicide bomber who killed 16 Israelis in a terror attack on a bus in Haifa. Fifteen Israelis died in Wednesday's attack and a 16th victim died of his wounds Saturday night.

The suicide attack was followed late Wednesday by Israeli-Palestinian violence in Gaza's Jabaliya refugee camp that left 11 Palestinians dead and more than 100 others wounded, Palestinian hospital officials said.

One of the other houses destroyed belonged to one of two Palestinian gunmen the IDF said infiltrated the Kiryat Arba settlement Friday. The third house belonged to one of two Palestinian gunmen the IDF said tried to infiltrate the settlement of Negohot near Hebron the same day. All four Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops shortly after the attacks. Two Israelis died in the Kiryat Arba attack.

Israeli forces Saturday night also destroyed the house of Palestinian Islamic Jihad's chief in the West Bank town of Jenin. The IDF said the man was responsible for recruiting activists and planning and organizing attacks against Israelis.

The IDF arrested 13 Palestinians during its West Bank operations.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad is a militant group dedicated to the creation of an Islamic Palestinian state and the destruction of Israel.

Earlier Saturday, four Hamas members -- including a top commander -- were killed in Gaza when Israeli rockets hit their car, according to Palestinian security and Hamas sources.

Three Israeli helicopters fired at least three rockets on the vehicle, killing Ibrahim Al-Makadmah -- considered a founder of Izzedine al Qassam -- and three of his bodyguards, the sources said.

An Israeli security source said Al-Makadmah was directly responsible for terror attacks in Gaza over the past 2.5 years that have killed 28 Israeli soldiers.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat condemned the attack. The IDF had no comment.

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