Palestinian resistance fighters took on Israeli tanks invading eastern Gaza City early yesterday morning and forced their withdrawal after hours of fierce clashes.
Palestinians said an undercover Israeli force attempted to enter Gaza City through the Zaytoun neighbourhood after midnight, but Palestinian activists clashed with the invading force.
Muawiya Hassanain, the director of ambulance and emergency services in the Palestinian Health Ministry said two Palestinian fighters were injured, and were treated on the spot.
An Israeli soldier was slightly injured and evacuated to Beer Sheva.
The military wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility for firing 73 mortar shells at the invading Israeli forces as well as planting landmines on the roads.
Islamic Jihad’s military wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, said their fighters clashed with the Israeli forces and launched five mortar shells.
Meanwhile, the Hamas-run government in the Gaza Strip says that Prime Minister Ismail Haniya will ignore Israeli assassination threats and will go about his daily life as normal.
A Hamas government spokesperson, Tahir An-Nunu said standard security measures would be in place to protect Haniya’s life. However, reports that Haniya had gone into hiding, are no more than ‘distasteful Israeli jokes.’
Hamas spokesperson Ismail Radwan said, smilingly, ‘Here we are answering calls on cell phones; we have not disappeared.
‘We will not disappear, and resistance will continue as the occupation’s leaders should realise that ‘Hamas’ leaders believe that it is only God who decides when we die, and after all we are willing to die as martyrs.’
Radwan added: ‘The intensive security measures are meant to avoid the occupation’s plots to hit Hamas’ leaders, and if they do so, a volcano will erupt in their faces.’
He said that the 2004 assassination of Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmad Yassin did not cause Hamas to collapse.
