6 Hamas gunmen killed in IAF strikes in Gaza

Five Hamas operatives were killed Saturday night and one wounded in two Israel Air Force strikes on the northern Gaza neighborhood of Jabalya. Another Hamas man was killed and two were injured early Sunday in another strike on the Strip's Zaitun neighborhood.  

According to reports, an explosion heard in the city around 10:55 pm turned out to be a fighter jet which fired at least one missile at a moving vehicle driving near the Jabalya Civil Administration headquarters. A second strike was reported just before midnight.

Two hours later, Palestinians reported that the IAF attacked another cell in Jabalya. One gunman was killed and another was critically injured.

The Palestinians reportedly had trouble dispatching ambulances to the scene, seeing how many are literally running on empty due to the fuel shortage.

The IDF confirmed the airstrikes, saying the target was a Qassam cell on its way to fire rockets at Israel. The strike was reportedly the IDF's first retaliation against Saturday's attacks on the Kerem Shalon goods crossing and the Kissufim checkpoint.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi visited the IDF's Southern Command several hours after the infiltration attempt, and were briefed on both incidents.

Both went on to commend the troops on their actions, adding that Hamas will be held accountable.

"This is the worst attack we've seen since the disengagement," said IDF Southern Command Chief Major-General Yoav Galant, during a visit to the scene of the terror attack at Kerem Shalom.

The IDF's assessment of Saturday's events concluded the attack was a "strategic" one, meant to disrupting Israel's 60th anniversary celebrations.

IDF intelligence indicated that Hamas had been planning the attack for several weeks, aiming to kidnap and kill as many soldiers as possible. 

Hanan Greenberg contributed to this report