Sunday, July 19, 2015

Gaza car blasts target Hamas, Islamic Jihad members

(CNN) Five explosions targeting parked cars belonging to members of various Palestinian factions rocked Gaza City on Sunday, according to a statement from Iyad al-Buzom, spokesman of Gaza's ministry of interior.

Police sources and witnesses also confirmed the explosions..

The explosions took place in the Shiekh Ridhwan neighborhood and happened in quick succession around 6 a.m. local time (11 p.m. Saturday, EDT).

Police sources and eyewitness said the bombs were planted on cars used by members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Hospital sources said two people were wounded in the blasts.

It is not yet known who planted the bombs.

The Gaza strip has been riven by internal divisions.

During last year's Gaza conflict, which took place in July and August, Hamas used the chaos to settle scores and carry out "horrific abuses . . . some of which amount to war crimes" against fellow Palestinians, according to Philip Luther, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Amnesty International.
(JPost) Hamas and Islamic Jihad on Sunday threatened to hunt down and punish those responsible for a series of bombings that destroyed the vehicles of some of the groups’ military commanders.

The pre-dawn explosions, which took place in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, destroyed at least six vehicles. No one was hurt.

Denouncing the perpetrators as “suspicious and hired tools,” the two group’s armed wings, Ezaddin al-Qassam (Hamas) and Al-Quds Battalions (Islamic Jihad), said that the explosions were designed to serve Israel’s interests and goals. Nonetheless, the two groups stopped short of accusing Israel of being behind the attacks.