Israel targets al-Qaida militant in Gaza
The Israeli air force has killed several Palestinian militants linked to al-Qaida in the Gaza Strip in a string of recent airstrikes, the first time the Israelis have systematically targeted jihadist operatives there.
The raids underline how al-Qaida, which is also attacking the Jewish state from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, is now deemed a threat to Israel amid the political upheavals across the Arab world throughout 2011 that have propelled radical Islamist parties into power.
This is seen as a potentially major boost for the jihadists and could have enormous political impact in the volatile region by ending the power of Arab dictators friendly with the United States.
“What’s happening in Sinai is that global terrorist organizations are meddling there and their presence is increasing because of the connection between Sinai and Gaza,” Israel Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned recently.