New Israeli Cabinet minister threatens to target heads of Hamas, Islamic Jihad

Source: Xinhuanet | 11-16-2006 08:49

JERUSALEM, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Israeli newest cabinet minister Avigdor Lieberman Wednesday threatened to target heads of two Palestinian military factions in response to fresh rocket attacks against southern Israel, local media reported.

Lieberman, who took post as deputy prime minister and minister of strategic affairs minister in late October, said leaders of Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Islamic Jihad(Holy War) should be targeted, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported on its website.

"We need to target them personally and to destroy every building and area which is identified with terror groups and to avoid as much as possible harming innocent civilians," Lieberman was quoted as saying.

The minister made the remarks after a 57-year-old Israeli woman was killed and two others were seriously wounded in Israeli town of Sderot Wednesday morning by rockets fired from the Gaza Strip.

About 15 rockets hit the western Negev over the course of Wednesday, including four in Ashkelon and 11 in Sderot.

Islamic Jihad and militants from the ruling Hamas movement both claimed responsibility for Wednesday morning's attacks.

The militant groups said the rocket fire was meant to avenge the deaths of 18 civilians killed last week in Israeli shelling of an apartment compound in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun.

Lieberman, chief of extreme-right Yisrael Beiteinu party, was admitted to the Israeli cabinet on Oct. 30, adding 11 seats to the shaky coalition headed by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Editor:Sun Luying