Top Hamas Leaders Killed by Israeli Airstrike

David Silverman/Getty Images(GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip) — Thousands of mourners turned out for the burials of three top Hamas commanders who were killed early Thursday by an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza town of Rafah.

The attack came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that leaders of the militant group were essentially fair game as his forces try to knock out Hamas’ ability to fire rockets at the homeland.

Thursday’s successful assassination of Hamas commanders was part of the resumption of hostilities between the two sides that began July 8 when Israel began its full-scale assault on Hamas.

Since then, more than 2,000 Palestinians have been killed, with much of Hamas-controlled Gaza devastated.

Israeli fatalities have totaled 64 soldiers and three civilians as it has managed to repel most of the rockets fired from Gaza.

There have been several cease-fires over the past six weeks, but none that have held for more than five days. The last one ended just a few hours into the temporary truce after Israel accused Gaza of continuing to fire missiles.

Meanwhile, a Hamas official claimed Wednesday that the group’s military wing was behind the kidnapping of three Israeli teens last June, who were later found dead. The group had previously denied culpability.

Salach Al-Aruri said that the reason for the abduction was to stir up a Palestinian uprising. Instead, a Palestinian teen was kidnapped and murdered in retaliation, and some observers believe that Israel used these incidents as its motivation to defeat Hamas, once and for all.

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