JERUSALEM – An Israeli missile blasted two Palestinian terror chiefs to death in the Gaza Strip yesterday – and militant groups vowed to “open the gates of hell” in a wave of retaliation attacks.
Israeli officials said their main target, Hassan al-Madhun, was responsible for killing 20 people in attacks such as last year’s bombings at the port of Ashdod and the Karni border crossing.
Madhun, commander of the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade in the northern Gaza Strip, was killed when an Israeli aircraft triggered an explosion in his car as he rode with Fawzi Kara.
Kara, a senior Hamas official, and Madhun were high on Israel’s wanted list.
Since a truce began earlier this year, Israel has generally avoided “targeted killings” of wanted terrorists, but said it would strike at “ticking bombs” who are about to carry out an attack.
Madhun and Kara “were not just a ticking bomb, they were a driving bomb” because their car contained explosives that were being prepared for a terrorist attack, a senior Israeli official told The Post.
Vowing vengeance, Islamic Jihad said, “This assassination will open the gates of hell on the enemy.”