Top Hamas commander, 6 Palestinians killed in covert Israeli raid on Gaza

Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in a clandestine raid targeting a Hamas commander and air strikes that provided cover for the commandos to escape back into Israel by car.

The Israeli incursion and air attacks drew rocket fire from the Hamas-controlled enclave late on Sunday. The Israeli special forces team infiltrated an area near the southern city of Khan Younis in a civilian vehicle.

Among those reported killed in the attack was Nour Baraka, a prominent commander of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas.

A ground operation inside the Gaza Strip is rare and will likely significantly boost tensions.

"We heard that a special Israeli unit went inside Khan Younis and assassinated Nour Baraka and another [commander]," Ghazi Hamad, senior Hamas official, told Al Jazeera.

"After [that], the car which carried this special unit or some collaborators, they tried to escape … but they were followed by Hamas and the al-Qassam Brigades and after that Israel tried to cover this car through striking here in Gaza," he added.

"I expect this night in Gaza to not be easy, to not be calm."

Witnesses said during the chase Israeli aircraft fired more than 40 missiles in the area where the incident took place, killing at least four other people.

Fawzi Barhoum, spokesperson for Hamas, denounced what he called a "cowardly Israeli attack".

An Israeli soldier was also killed when an exchange of fire erupted during the operation, the army said, as tensions rose with the Hamas-run Palestinian enclave.

"During an [Israeli] special forces operational activity in the Gaza Strip, an exchange of fire evolved," the army said in a statement.

"At this incident, an IDF officer was killed and an additional officer was moderately injured," it added, referring to the Israel Defense Forces.

The army said its soldiers had returned.

After the clash erupted, sirens were reported in southern Israel indicating rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.

Ten launches from Gaza towards Israel were identified and two were intercepted by Israeli missile defences, the army said. It was not immediately clear where the others landed.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on an official visit to France, announced he was rushing back to Israel to deal with the crisis.

Sunday’s development shattered what appeared to be a turning point after months of bloodshed along the Israel-Gaza border, with weekly Hamas-led protests drawing thousands to the perimeter fence with Israel.

More than 170 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the border protests, in which Palestinians throw rocks, burning tyres and grenades towards Israeli troops.

Last week, Israel allowed Qatar to deliver 15 million dollars (£11.6 million) in aid to Gaza’s cash-strapped Hamas rulers. Hamas responded by lowering the intensity of Friday’s border protest.

Earlier Sunday, Netanyahu had defended his decision to allow the transfer of the Qatari money, rejecting criticism that the move had strengthened the Islamic militant group.