OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israeli aircraft killed 3 Palestinian who were planning to abduct Israelis over the upcoming Jewish festival of Passover, the military said early Saturday. An Israeli military spokeswoman said that an “aircraft had fired at a terror squad of the terror group Hamas that was planning to carry out kidnappings.” She said the group was plotting the attacks for the Jewish festival of Passover later this month. The group was planning to carry out the attacks in Israel as well as in the popular Egyptian resort of Sinai, she said. Witnesses said a missile fired from an aircraft hit a car as it was traveling near Gaza City just before 2 a.m. local time. Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Adham Abu Salmia said three men were killed and another was injured. Hamas, which controls Gaza, later issued a statement saying the men killed were Hamas fighters. They called the strike “a crime” and vowed revenge. “We send a simple message to them (Israel): Don't try to test our patience, or you will open the gate of fire,” said Hamas spokesman Abu Obeideh.
