Israel Threatens To Target Hamas Political Leaders
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Wednesday, May 23, 2007; Page A18
JERUSALEM, May 23 -- Israel's deputy defense minister threatened Tuesday to target Hamas political leaders, calling them "terrorists in suits" after a rocket attack by the radical Palestinian Islamic group killed an Israeli woman.
The harsh words were backed up by action. Israeli airstrikes Tuesday and early Wednesday targeted four suspected arms caches and three other Hamas sites across the Gaza Strip, and an Israeli helicopter strafed a rocket launch site with machine-gun fire. Palestinian officials said 16 people were wounded.
The injured included a pregnant woman and a teenage boy living next to an unoccupied building that was hit early Wednesday in Jabalya, in northern Gaza. The Israeli military said that the target was a Hamas arms dump and that "secondary explosions were identified," apparently exploding ordnance.
The 32-year-old woman who died Monday night, identified as Shirel Friedman, was the first Israeli killed by a Palestinian rocket since November. Gunmen fired nine more rockets at Israel on Tuesday, slightly wounding two people, the army said.
Israeli leaders suggested that even Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas could be targeted in reprisals. In a radio interview, Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh called Hamas leaders "terrorists in suits."
Wary of Israeli strikes, leaders of Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups in Gaza have lowered their profiles, turning off cellphones and staying off the streets.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri threatened harsh retaliation if the group's leaders were attacked.
