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Seven Killed in Gaza by Israeli forces. Published by IMEMC News Nov 12, 2018

Mahmoud Kheir El-Din, 41. Undercover Israeli agent killed by Israeli fire in Israel's Gaza operation, Nov 11, 2018. Published by IMEMC News, May 18, 2022
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by IMEMC News
November 12, 2018 6:02 AM

Updated:

After undercover Israeli soldiers infiltrated into the Gaza Strip, on Sunday at night, and assassinated two senior leaders of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, the army initiated a series of air strikes, the army fired missiles and shells to secure the retreat of its undercover soldiers, killing five other Palestinians. Hamas fighters exchanged fire with the soldiers killing one of them, Israeli sources have confirmed.

Updated: The undercover soldiers were driving a Volkswagen car, and drove towards the home of Noureddin Baraka, in Bani Suheila area in Khan Younis, before stopping near the property, the al-Quds News Agency has confirmed.

Fighters of the Al-Qassam Brigades then noticed the car and stopped it near a kindergarten in Abasan al-Kabeera town, and asked the passengers to step out of the vehicle and show their ID cards.

It added that the undercover soldiers, who were in the backseat of the car, then opened fire at the fighters, after realizing their cover-up has been exposed.

Al-Quds also stated that some of the undercover soldiers were wearing veils, pretending to be women.

The senior fighter, Noureddin Baraka, was instantly killed in the initial shooting, while other fighters called for help, before chasing the car that carried the undercover forces.

The Israeli army, stationed across the perimeter fence, started firing shells at cars and Palestinians who chased the undercover officers’ vehicle, before it crashed against a wall, and then headed toward the perimeter fence.

So far, the Israeli soldiers who was killed in the Gaza invasion, has only been identified as (Lt. Col. M.). The army is still keeping other information classified, but his family has officially been notified.

The Al-Qassam Brigades said the undercover soldiers who infiltrated into an area, east of the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, assassinated one of its senior leaders, identified as Noureddin Mohammad Salama Baraka, 37.

It said that the undercover soldiers used a civilian car to drive three kilometers into the area of Abu Shanab Mosque, east of Khan Younis, and assassinated Baraka.

The group added that its fighters then chased the undercover forces after they assassinated Baraka, exchanged fire with them,

Al-Qassam stated that the Israeli Air Force then started firing missiles, killing five Palestinians, and wounding at least seven.armed wing of Hamas.

The army also fired several shells into lands, east of Khuza’a town, east of Khan Younis, in addition to firing many flares.

In a statement, Al-Qassam said that the “resistance in Gaza will continue to defend the Palestinian people,” and vowed that “the enemy will pay a heavy price for its crime.”

Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum said in a written statement that “what the resistance is doing in Gaza is honorable and brave, proving its readiness to perform its national duties, and to defend the people.”

He also said that “the cowardice enemy will pay a heavy price for its crime.”

Israeli sources have confirmed that one of its “Special Forces” officers was killed in an exchange of fire, which broke out during the offensive, and that another officer was injured.”

The Palestinians who were killed in the Israeli offensive have been identified as:

Noureddin Mohammad Salama Baraka, 37.
Mohammad Majed Mousa al-Qarra, 23.
Khaled Mohammad Ali Qweider, 29.
Mustafa Hasan Mohammad Abu Odah, 21.
Mahmoud Atallah Misbih, 25.
Ala’eddin Fawzi Mohammad Fseifis, 24.
Omar Naji Musallam Abu Khater, 21.

It is worth mentioning that al-Qarra just got married a few days ago. Both Baraka and al-Qarra are senior leaders of the al-Qassam Brigades.

Following this serious Israeli military escalation, the Israeli army asked the Israeli colonialist settlers living close to the border with Gaza to remain indoors, and closed the Zikim road.

Israeli media source said that, after the army assassinated the fighters, Al-Qassam fired at least ten shells into Israel area, and added that the Iron Dome system “intercepted two of them.”

Furthermore, the army issued a statement confirming that no soldiers were abducted during the offensive into Gaza, and declared high alter along the border area.

In addition, the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, issued a statement declaring readiness for any possible escalation.

So far, the name of the Israeli officer who was killed in the invasion into Khan Younis remains unpublished by Israel.

The army only confirmed his death, and that another soldier was injured, underwent a surgery and is currently in “moderate and stable condition,” at Intensive Care Unit, in Soroka Hospital.

Published on: Nov 12, 2018 @ 03:20

Updated From:
Six Palestinians Killed in Gaza by Israeli Gunfire in southern Gaza
Published on: Nov 12, 2018 @ 01:42

Israeli forces attacked a group of Palestinians in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, east of Khan Younis, firing at them from a passing car after infiltrating Gaza dressed as civilians, killing six.

Following the shooting attack, Palestinians in the area reported multiple airstrikes, as well as heavy artillery fire from Israeli tanks stationed at the Gaza-Israel border.

Israeli sources reported that Israeli soldiers invaded the Gaza Strip as part of the ‘operation’ to kill the six fighters, one of whom was allegedly a senior commander with the armed wing of the Hamas party. The military issued a statement meant to quell rumors inside Israel, saying that ‘no Israeli soldiers were abducted during the operation’.

Israeli sources reported that one of the six men killed in the airstrike was Nur Barake, a deputy commander of an elite unit of Ezz al-Din al-Qassam, the military wing of the Hamas party.

According to local sources, the Israeli strikes and artillery fire began around 9:30 pm on Sunday, around the same time as the drive-by shooting attack.

The Israeli military claimed that ten ‘projectiles’ were fired from Gaza following the killing of the six men and the continued airstrikes. The Palestinian ‘projectiles’ fell into the desert, causing no damage.

The spokesperson for the Hamas party, Fawzi Barhoum, issued a statement condemning what he called “cowardly Israeli aggression”.

The Gaza invasion and killing comes a day after Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was embarrassed by Israeli media reports that he was somehow being too soft on Palestinians in Gaza by allowing foreign aid to provide a part of the salaries that had been denied to Palestinian employees in Gaza for months.

The attack by Israeli forces is a direct and blatant violation of the ceasefire negotiated and agreed to by Palestinian and Israeli officials earlier this week.
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Senior Israeli Officer Killed During Special Forces Op in Gaza

Seven Palestinians killed, including Hamas military commander, in Israeli op in southern Gaza ■ Sirens sound multiple times overnight ■ 17 projectiles fired at Israel ■ Three intercepted by Iron Dome

by Amos Harel, Yaniv Kubovich, Jack Khoury, Almog Ben Zikri and Noa Landau for Haaretz. Nov 12, 2018 6:39 AM

41-year-old Israeli officer was killed and another was moderately wounded during an operation in the southern Gaza Strip, the military said early Monday.

At least seven Palestinians were said killed in Gaza after heavy fire was exchanged with Israeli forces, according to Palestinian sources, including a commander in Hamas' military wing. Hamas claimed that six of the casualties were part of its organization.

Palestinians also reported massive Israeli airstrikes in the area that began at the same time as the shooting.

In a statement, the military spokesperson said the the IDF chief of staff personally oversaw the operation together with the Military Intelligence chief.

The army added that "an exchange of fire broke out" during a special forces operation in Gaza. The statement said that the officer was a lieutenant colonel, and that the purpose of the operation was not an assassination or a kidnapping.

The officer, whose name was not released for publication, was married with two children and a resident of Israel's north. His funeral will be held Monday at 3 PM.

The wounded officer was in moderate but stable condition, and was admitted to the intensive care unit at Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva after undergoing an operation.

The Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson’s Unit said about the lieutenant colonel that "His actions will not be published in the media but he deserves our salute. His actions led to Israel having superiority over its enemies."

A statement by the Israeli army said that force was hurt during the first fire exchange and that the shooting occurred while "the special force carried out a lengthy operation and encountered a very complex reality."

The military spokesperson's office added that "What was revealed tonight is the very tip of operations that are carried out regularly and the purpose of which is to enable Israel's superiority as it exists today."

"I am stunned and I am grieving the loss of the IDF officer killed tonight," President Reuven Rivlin said. "I pray, together with all Israeli citizens, for the health of the wounded officer."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he mourns the fallen officer, "a lauded fighter." He said that "one day, the full tale of his heroism will be told. Israel's citizens owe him a huge debt."

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said: "The Israeli people lost an industrious fighter tonight, whose contribution to the state will remain confidential for many years." Education Minister Naftali Bennett said that "We send our condolences to the family and pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded. Thanks to heroes like these, we can all live here safely."

Seventeen projectiles were fired at Israel from Gaza since the escalation broke out, according to the IDF, with Iron Dome missiles intercepting three of the projectiles.

Gaza talks

The incident occurred at the height of efforts to achieve a long-term cease-fire in Gaza and is liable to make these efforts much harder.

The exchange began at about 9:30 P.M. Sunday. Palestinian sources in Gaza said an Israeli force was operating inside the Gaza Strip, east of Khan Yunis. Palestinian officials said the group of Hamas men were fired at from a passing car.

Palestinian sources told Haaretz that one of the casualties is Nour Baraka, a deputy commander of an elite unit of Iz al-Din al-Qassam, the military wing of Hamas. According to a statement from Hamas' military wing, Israeli forces entered Gaza in a civilian vehicle three kilometers east of Khan Yunis. The exchange of fire began after Israeli soldiers kiled Barake.

Gazan officials identified the other casualties as 21-year-old Omar Jani Abu Hatar, Mohammad Majed Al-Qara, Ala Adin Koidar, Mustafa Hassan Abu Odeh, Mahmoud Atallah Masabach and Ala Fasifis.

Late Sunday, responding to rumors and reports in Israel, the Israeli army took an unusual step and issued a statement denying that a soldier was abducted during the operation.

Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum condemned the "cowardly Israeli aggresion" in his statement on the incident, adding that the Palestinian resistance is ready to carry out its duty and make the enemy pay a high price.

The Homefront Command announced that schools would be closed on Monday. Residents of Gaza border communities received directions to remain near shelter overnight, but in these orders were canceled in the morning.

“There were explosions and now it’s a little quieter,” said Roni Keisan, a resident of Kerem Shalom, a kibbutz near the Gaza border. “We can see a massive tank operations in the area. We set up the bomb shelter and are ready for a long sleepless night inside. In the meantime, the only information we’ve received is to stay within reach of sheltered areas.”

The secretary of Kibbutz Be’eri, Hagi Yaniv, told Haaretz that residents had seen “planes and helicopters circling above the kibbutz” and had heard “explosions both near and far.”

Netanyahu cuts trip short

Netanyahu, who is visiting in Paris, cut his trip short and is flying back to Israel overnight after receiving live updates and holding consultations on the topic. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman is holding consultations at the military headquarters in Tel Aviv.

Earlier on Sunday, Netanyahu said at a briefing for reporters that he would rather explore the possibility of a long-term cease-fire with Hamas than go to war. He defended the decision to let suitcases stuffed with $15 million in cash from Qatar enter Gaza last week.

“We want to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” he said. “At the moment, what’s undermining stability is internal volatility within Gaza, which it may be in our power to prevent.”

Prior to the incident, Israeli officials had sounded relatively optimistic about the chances of achieving a long-term cease-fire. But the heavy exchanges of fire and the casualties suffered by Hamas are liable to complicate the situation, thereby forcing Egyptian intelligence officials to step up their pressure on both sides in order to restore quiet.

The commander of the Gaza Division, Brig. Gen. Eliezer Toledano, met earlier on Sunday with representatives of Israeli communities near Gaza to discuss an incident on Friday in which a Palestinian penetrated Netiv Ha’asara, a moshav just north of Gaza, and torched a greenhouse. Toledano said the incident disturbed him greatly and the IDF would investigate how it happened.

Qatar reportedly finished paying the July salaries of Hamas officials on Saturday. Thousands of officials who have not received their salaries claim that they are part of Hamas' military wing. According to the deal, Qatari money will be transferred to civilian officials only.
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Israeli officials release name of Israeli Soldier Killed in 2018

by IMEMC News
May 16, 2022

An Israeli who was killed during a botched undercover invasion in Gaza in 2018 has finally been identified by the Israeli government, nearly two years after his death. Investigations of the incident by the Palestinian Authority in Gaza found that the soldier was likely killed by so-called ‘friendly fire’ by his fellow Israeli soldiers.

Initially, the Israeli government had stated that he had been killed by Palestinian resistance fighters.

The soldier was identified as Mahmoud Kheir El-Din, 41.

He was one of a group of undercover Israeli soldiers who infiltrated into the Gaza Strip dressed as Palestinian civilians to assassinate two senior leaders of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas. The army initiated a series of air strikes, firing missiles and shells to secure the retreat of its undercover soldiers, killing five additional Palestinians.

Hamas fighters exchanged fire with the soldiers.

The undercover soldiers were driving a Volkswagen car, and drove towards the home of Noureddin Baraka, in Bani Suheila area in Khan Younis, before stopping near the property, the al-Quds News Agency has confirmed.

Fighters of the Al-Qassam Brigades then noticed the car and began following it, catching up to it near a kindergarten in Abasan al-Kabeera town, and asking the passengers to step out of the vehicle and show their ID cards.

The News Agency added that the undercover soldiers, who were in the backseat of the car, then opened fire at the fighters, after realizing their cover-up had been exposed.

Al-Quds also stated that some of the undercover soldiers were wearing veils, pretending to be women.

The senior fighter, Noureddin Baraka, was instantly killed in the initial shooting, while other fighters called for help, before chasing the car that carried the undercover forces.

The Israeli army, stationed across the perimeter fence, started firing shells at cars and Palestinians who chased the undercover officers’ vehicle, before it crashed against a wall, and then headed toward the perimeter fence.

Initially, the Israeli soldier who was killed in the Gaza invasion was only identified as Lt. Col. M., while the army kept other information classified.

The Al-Qassam Brigades said the undercover soldiers who infiltrated into an area, east of the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, assassinated one of its senior leaders, identified as Noureddin Mohammad Salama Baraka, 37.

The army also fired several shells into lands, east of Khuza’a town, east of Khan Younis, in addition to firing many flares.

In a statement, Al-Qassam said that the “resistance in Gaza will continue to defend the Palestinian people,” and vowed that “the enemy will pay a heavy price for its crime.”

Israeli sources have confirmed that one of its “Special Forces” officers was killed in an exchange of fire, which broke out during the offensive, and that another officer was injured.”

The Palestinians who were killed in the Israeli offensive have been identified as:

Noureddin Mohammad Salama Baraka, 37.
Mohammad Majed Mousa al-Qarra, 23.
Khaled Mohammad Ali Qweider, 29.
Mustafa Hasan Mohammad Abu Odah, 21.
Mahmoud Atallah Misbih, 25.
Ala’eddin Fawzi Mohammad Fseifis, 24.
Omar Naji Musallam Abu Khater, 21.

It is worth mentioning that al-Qarra just got married a few days prior to being killed. Both Baraka and al-Qarra are senior leaders of the al-Qassam Brigades.

Following this serious Israeli military escalation, the Israeli army asked the Israeli colonialist settlers living close to the border with Gaza to remain indoors, and closed the Zikim road.

Israeli media source said that, after the army assassinated the fighters, Al-Qassam fired at least ten shells into Israel area, and added that the Iron Dome system “intercepted two of them.”