Special to WorldTribune.com

GAZA CITY — Israel and Hamas have become engaged in another
mini-war.

Hamas and its militia allies fired at least 100 missiles, mortars
and rockets toward Israel on March 9-10 in wake of the assassination of the
commander of a Hamas-aligned militia. The Israel Air Force responded
with strikes that killed at least 15 Palestinians, including senior militia
operatives.

“This is a grave escalation,” Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said.

The mini-war is said to have erupted after an Israeli air strike that
killed the commander of the Hamas-aligned Popular Resistance Committees, Zuheir Al Qaisa on March 9. Another senior operative, identified as Ahmed Al Hanini, was also killed when their car was struck by a missile in Gaza City.

In response, Palestinian gunners launched a massive barrage of missiles, mortars and rockets toward Israel. At least 100 projectiles were fired toward Israel, about 30 intercepted by the new Iron Dome system.

“We will continue to improve home front defense including by means of additional Iron Dome systems, the effectiveness of which was shown again
over the weekend,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on March 10.

Eight Israelis were injured in the Palestinian mortar and missile fire.
At least 13 Palestinians, including two senior operatives of the
Iranian-sponsored Islamic Jihad, were killed in Israeli retaliatory air
strikes. A diplomatic source said Egypt and the United States have
intervened to end the fighting.

“This round in the Gaza Strip is far from over,” Israeli Defense
Minister Ehud Barak said.

Israeli military sources said PRC was responsible for a series of
missile and mortar attacks in March 2012. They said Al Qaisa, the third PRC
commander killed by Israel since 2000, was a planner of the August 2011
attack in southern Israel that killed eight people and had been organizing
another operation meant for launch from the neighboring Egypt.

PRC has been deemed the leading ally of the Hamas regime in the Gaza
Strip. Many of the senior operatives in PRC were said to be former Hamas
fighters supported by Iran.

“The enemy has opened the doors to hell and continuous revenge for all
our martyrs,” PRC’s military wing said in a statement.

  Benjamin Netanyhau, Ehud Barak, Gaza City, Iron Dome, Islamic Jihad, Israel Air Force, New mini-war: Hamas answered Israeli strike that killed commander with 100 rockets, Popular Resistance Committees