Intensifying its targeted assassination of Hamas leadership, Israel’s Air Force on Thursday bombed a house in Gaza killing three senior militant commanders and 21 other Palestinians on the 45th day of the deadly conflict that has claimed over 2,000 lives.
The three field commanders killed, Mohammed Abu Shamala, Mohammed Barhoum and Raed al-Attar, were key to Hamas operations including smuggling, tunnel construction and also played a role in capturing Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006, who was later released in a swap deal.They died in the attack near the southern town of Rafah, sources in Gaza said.
The deaths raised the overall toll in Gaza to 2,075, with more than 10,310 wounded during six weeks of fighting between Israel and Hamas after the Jewish state launched Operation Protective Edge on July 8. Of the total casualties, 58 people have been killed since violence resumed following the collapse of a truce agreement on Tuesday afternoon.
Attar was the most senior commander in the south and was seen taking Shalit from the car and handing him over to the Egyptians during the prisoner exchange in 2011. Shamala was the Rafah commander said to have been responsible for planning the capture of Shalit.