Israeli aircraft hits car in Gaza; at least 1 dead

06/24/2007

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) -- The Israeli military said late Sunday that an Israeli aircraft targeted at a car in Gaza City, the first such attack since the Islamic militant group Hamas overran Gaza earlier this month. One person was killed and two wounded, hospital officials said.

The attack took place in the eastern part of Gaza City, a known stronghold of Islamic militants.

The airstrike came hours after an Israeli agreement to begin releasing hundreds of millions of dollars in frozen tax funds to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a gesture to bolster the moderate Palestinian leader in his standoff against Hamas.

Islamic Jihad said the vehicle was carrying its members on a "holy mission," code for an attack on Israel. Hamas TV footage showed the burned car with at least one rocket inside.

Israel has frequently targeted Gaza militants in airstrikes, saying the goal is to prevent daily rocket barrages from Gaza at Israeli border towns.

However, Israel had stayed on the sidelines during this month's lightning Hamas sweep through Gaza, when the Islamist forces overran headquarters of security forces linked to Abbas' rival Fatah.

Summit meant to boost Abbas

The airstrike came a day before a summit meeting in Egypt with Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Jordan's King Abdullah II, aimed at boosting Abbas in his conflict with Hamas.

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