Israel bombs home of Hamas leader

ISRAELI warplanes flattened the home of senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar with a half-ton bomb yesterday, wounding him and killing his eldest son and a bodyguard, in retaliation for two Hamas suicide bombings that killed 15 Israelis a day earlier.

The strike marked the first time a Hamas leader was attacked in his home, an escalation of Israel’s campaign against the Islamic militant group. Several Hamas leaders went underground, and Hamas threatened to widen its bombing spree by bringing down Israeli high-rises and homes.

The Hamas military wing issued a statement yesterday claiming responsibility for the two suicide bombings on Tuesday, saying they “came as the beginning of our retaliation for the enemy’s crimes against our people.”