Nov. 12 (UPI) — A botched undercover mission killed at least seven Palestinians and an Israeli officer in the Gaza Strip, authorities said Monday.
Israeli officers used a civilian vehicle to sneak into Gaza for an intelligence-gathering mission. The forces assassinated one of Hamas’ commanders, fatally shooting him before fleeing. Hamas fighters caught up with the vehicle and killed one of the undercover officers.
“During an [Israeli] special forces operational activity in the Gaza Strip, an exchange of fire evolved,” the Israeli army said in a statement. “An IDF officer was killed and an additional officer was moderately injured.”
Isareli forces responded with an airstrike.
Hamas called it a “cowardly Israeli attack.”
Gaza responded with rocket attacks against Israel, with a spokesman characterizing Israel’s actions as “dangerous Zionist aggression.”
IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis said this was an intelligence-gathering mission.
“The operation was deep inside the Gaza Strip and was the very end of operations that are carried out on a regular basis and whose purpose is to enable the superiority and capabilities of Israel,” Manelis said.
He said the forces were “trapped in a highly complex situation” but were able to “hit those who threatened them and extracted themselves to Israeli territory.”
Other details from the operation remain censored.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short his trip to Paris, where he and other world leaders marked the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.
Netanyahu said he was doing everything possible to bring calm to Gaza and prevent a larger war.
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