By Xinhua
Gaza : Hamas on Saturday warned Israel against assassinating any leader of the Islamic movement as part of a fierce wave of mutual violence that left 54 Palestinians and one Israeli dead.
“The Israeli threats will not terrify the movement,” Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told a news conference in Gaza.
The Israeli offensive against the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip was “a massacre and a conspiracy by Israel, the international and regional sides to topple Hamas.”
On Wednesday, an Israeli airstrike killed five Hamas fighters in southern Gaza, sparking reaction from the Islamic movement by firing homemade rockets into southern Israel where a resident of Sderot city was killed.
Israel launched successive airstrikes following the death of the Israeli man on Wednesday, since then 54 Palestinians including more than 12 children have been killed.
Early Saturday, Israeli tanks rolled into northeast Gaza and took up positions on high hills amid heavy machine-gun fire.
Meanwhile, Abu Zuhri slammed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for his accusation against Hamas.
President Abbas had accused Hamas rocket attacks on Israel of giving Israel a pretext for military operation in Gaza.
“Abbas’ statements are a crime against the Palestinian people because it justifies the Israeli bombings,” Abu Zuhri responded.