Hamas bombards Israeli settlements in retaliation to striking Syria

The Islamic resistance movement, Hamas, said it had fired 16 mortar shells at Israeli settlements in Gaza on Sunday evening, in retaliation to the Israeli air raid against a camp for the Palestinian refugees in Syria.

A statement by Ezz Eddine al-Qassam group, the military wing of Hamas, said the bombardment targeted Mourag settlements, Rafeeh Yam, and Tel Zaraab.

No comment was made by the Israeli side which said that the Israeli forces are investigating the matter. No reports came on the number of wounded persons, either.

Hamas threatened to launch more attacks against Israel following the raid, and said in a statement that "any Israeli aggression against a Muslim country is, but an aggression against the Palestinian people and that our reply to this aggression will be decisive."

The statement which appeared at Hamas website added "we call on all cells of Ezz Eddine al-Qassam group in all areas to quickly reply in the depth of the Zionist enemy, in retaliation to the aggression against Syria."

On Sunday at dawn, the Israeli warplanes bombarded a position inside the Syrian territories said by Israel to be a training center for the Islamic Jihad movement, which claimed responsibility for Haifa operation. The Syrian mass media and both Hamas and the Islamic Jihad movement denied the Israeli allegations and stressed that the bombarded position was a camp for the Palestinian refugees.

Israel said that the raid was a retaliation to Haifa operation which resulted in killing 19 Israelis and wounding 50. Al-Jihad movement claimed responsibility for the operation.