BICOM

Israeli security forces yesterday carried out a targeted air strike in the Gaza Strip killing a key activist in regional Islamist Salafist groups, who was responsible for a rocket attack launched last week on Israel’s southernmost city, Eilat.

24-year-old Hitham Mishal, who was described by Israel’s Shin Bet security agency as “a cornerstone of terrorism in the Gaza Strip, specialising in arms” was killed as he rode a motorcycle yesterday morning. There were no other casualties as a result of the attack.

The Shin Bet statement added that “Mishal dealt in the manufacturing, upgrading and trade of firearms, particularly rockets and bombs, which he delivered to various terror organizations for profit, and to promote terrorism against the IDF and Israeli civilians.” Among his activities, Mishal supplied arms to the Ashura Council of Holy Fighters in the Environs of Jerusalem, an Islamist Salafi organisation which fired rockets on the city of Eilat, a major Israeli tourist destination, earlier this month from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

The strike on Mishal is the first targeted Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip since a ceasefire brought an end to Operation Pillar of Defence in November, during which Israel sought to stop an increased rate of rocket fire from Gaza on Israeli population centres. However, Gaza rocket attacks on Israeli civilians have increased over the past several weeks.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented, “Today we struck at one of those involved in the criminal firing of rockets at Eilat. I said that we would not ignore this; our action is a continuation of our policy. We will not accept the sporadic firing of rockets from either the Gaza Strip or Sinai.”

Meanwhile, tensions were high yesterday in the West Bank following the killing of an Israeli settler by a Palestinian. There were reports that settlers stoned Palestinian cars and set an olive grove alight.