Six Israelis Killed in Biggest Gaza Ambush in Months

GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian militants killed six Israeli soldiers riding in an explosives-packed troop carrier during a raid in Gaza on Tuesday in the deadliest ambush of Israeli forces in occupied territories in 18 months.


The militants blew the vehicle up during the raid in which troops shot dead five Palestinians.


The carrier -- loaded with explosives that had been used to demolish weapons workshops, a key target in the raid -- ran over a powerful, improvised mine and was "blown to pieces," a senior military official said.


A Reuters photograph showed a massive orange fireball erupting above buildings in a crowded Gaza City neighborhood, which lies north of the heavily guarded Jewish settlement of Netzarim.

~snip~

The bloody ambush was likely to drive a deeper wedge between Israeli hard-liners who say a Gaza withdrawal would be a "reward for Palestinian terror" and a majority of Israelis who see the fenced-in strip as a costly liability that should be abandoned.


Sharon planned to convene his security cabinet later on Tuesday to consider a response to the ambush, his office said.

~snip~
more:http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&ncid=721&e=1&u=/nm/20040511/wl_nm/mideast_dc

will try to find a link.

Report: Israel targeted killing attempt
By KHALED ABU TOAMEH


Eyewitness reports in the Gaza strip say an assassination attempt has been perpetrated by Israeli helicopters on a car in Gaza city.

Helicopters reportedly fired a number of missiles into the car travelling near a marketplace in the Sajaya neighborhood in Gaza city causing a number of casualties, including civilians.


http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1084251776934

http://www.maarivenglish.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&articleID=7205

<snip>

"The death of six soldiers today (Tuesday), killed when an explosive device was detonated near their armored personnel carrier in Gaza, does not mark the first time the Palestinians hit an armored vehicle. Indeed, alongside a series of successful anti-terror operations, the IDF's armored corps has suffered a series of difficult blows in recent years. Overall, 17 soldiers, including the ones killed today, have paid with their lives."

<snip>

"The first of these attacks took place on February 14, 2002, near the Netzarim junction. The well-planned ambush, which relied on earlier intelligence work and featured diversionary tactics, killed three of the tank's crewmembers.

Thirty days later terrorists managed to blow up another tank, killing three soldiers from the same platoon as the earlier attack and close to where the first tank was hit. Hezbollah were reported to have assisted the Palestinian terrorists by supplying know-how gained from fighting Israel in southern Lebanon and in northern Israel.

In September 2002, one IDF soldier was killed when Palestinians blew up a Mark 2 Merkava tank with a roadside bomb near Kissufim.

Four IDF soldiers, Staff Sergeant Doron Cohen, Staff Sergeant Alexei Belitzky, Sergeant Itai Mizrahi and Corporal Noam Bahgan were killed when their tank drove over a 100kg explosive device during operational duty near the settlement of Dugit in the northern part of the Gaza Strip last year."

Middle East - AP


One Killed in Israeli Missile Strike

13 minutes ago


GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - An Israeli helicopter gunship on Tuesday fired a missile at a car in Gaza City, killing one Palestinian and wounding six, witnesses said.

It was not immediately clear why Israel targeted the car, which was parked outside a bodyshop. Witnesses said two Palestinian gunmen were walking nearby at the time.


Israel has carried out scores of targeted missile attacks on militants and their leaders. The car, which was destroyed, was hit in the Shajaiyeh district of Gaza City, near the area of intense fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen.
~snip~

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=2&u=/ap/20040511/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_airstrike

Or am I the only one to sense some bias?

And how comes that "Sharon planned to convene his security cabinet later on Tuesday to consider a response to the ambush, his office said." when this very ambush was happening during a raid the IDF conducted on Palestinian territory?

reports are coming in now, that it wasn't a targeted killing either...after it was reported as such. Perhaps because it wasn't successful? The media bias on reports out of Israel are always sketchy at best. :(