Israel ‘ready to expand’ Gaza operation

Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera quoted Netanyahu as saying in a televised address on Wednesday evening that his country sent a "clear message" to radical Islamist group Hamas through the killing of its military commander Ahmed al-Jabari , head of Hamas' armed wing - the Ezzedine al-Qassam (Izz el-Deen Al-Qassam) Brigades.

The Israeli army said on Wednesday it had started a large-scale operation to eliminate key militant commanders and "terrorist infrastructure" in the Gaza Strip controlled by Hamas. Al-Jabari became the first target hit in a series of well-planned air strikes on Gaza. He was killed earlier on Wednesday when his car was hit by an Israeli missile, RIA Novosti informed.   

Other targets of the operation "Pillar of Defense" ("Pillar of Cloud" in Hebrew) included rocket launch sites belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

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