Helicopter missile strike kills two Hamas members

An Israeli helicopter fired four missiles at a van, killing two members of the militant Hamas group in the Gaza Strip today and wounding two people, witnesses and rescue workers said.

Firefighters and rescue workers rushed to the spot in the central Gaza Strip and evacuated the wounded to hospitals. The vehicle was travelling on a busy road between the Nusseirat and Bureij refugee camps.

Flames quickly engulfed the van and angry crowds gathered, yelling, “God is great!”

It was the fifth Israeli missile strike on a Hamas target in 10 days. Two F-16 fighter jets gave cover to three Apache helicopters during the strike, Palestinian security sources said.

Hospital officials identified the dead as Farid Mayet, 40, and Abdullah Akel, 37. Hamas sources said both were members of the Hamas military wing.

An eyewitness who gave his name as Balal said: “I was riding my bicycle toward my shop when I heard the sound of F-16s circling over my head. Suddenly I saw the car coming from the side of the street, and a missile came and hit the car from the front, followed by another two.”

He said he saw a passenger hit by a fourth missile and killed after he jumped from the Peugeot van.