13 July, 2014

Israeli drones hunt Hamas as militants fire rockets deeper into Israel - The Washington Post

Israeli drones hunt Hamas as militants fire rockets deeper into Israel - The Washington Post: Israeli aircraft are targeting houses in the Gaza Strip as never before, firing precision-guided missiles into family living rooms. They have killed at least five known militants with the tactic — but they appear to have killed more civilians, including a growing number of women and children.

Israeli defense officials say their mission is not only to stop Hamas and other militant groups in the Gaza Strip from firing ever-more-powerful rockets deeper into Israel, as they did Wednesday, but also to weaken Hamas by killing its commanders.



 But by targeting 60 houses in the past 48 hours, Israel’s risk of inflicting collateral damage has soared. The health ministry in Gaza reported Wednesday evening that 41 residents of the crowded coastal enclave had been killed in Israeli strikes since the conflict began early Tuesday, and that 13 of the dead were 16 years old or younger. At least seven were women and a handful were elderly, such as Naifeh Farjallah, who was 80.