Seven Palestinians Wounded in Gaza Strip as Hamas Destroys Israeli Tank

19/03/2004| IslamWeb

A bomb planted by Palestinians overturned an Israeli tank, lightly wounding two soldiers, during a military raid near the Gaza Strip settlement of Netzarim on Friday, the Israeli army confirmed. An army spokeswoman said an "explosive device" detonated near a tank, flipping it over and lightly wounding two crew members inside. "It was a large blast. It caused the tank to overturn. There was damage," the spokeswoman added. Hamas claimed responsibility for the operation. Palestinian witnesses said occupation forces injured seven people, during the raid in the Gazan village of Mughraqa in which youths hurled pipe bombs at several Israeli tanks while helicopter gunships fired from overhead. The Israeli army described Friday's raid as "pinpoint activity against terrorist infrastructure" near the heavily guarded Netzarim settlement in the center of the Strip. The army said it arrested two Hamas members. In the West Bank city of Bethlehem, occupation troops destroyed the house of a Tanzim member who carried out a bomb attack in the West Bank settlement of Efrat that wounded four people about two years ago, Israel Radio reported Friday. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Blind folded Palestinians who were arrested during an Israeli military operation into the Gaza Strip. (AFP/Nadav Neuhaus)