An Israeli airstrike killed five Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, Israeli and Palestinian officials said. It was the deadliest attack against the coastal strip in months.While initial reports claimed that the dead were from Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees, those groups did not claim responsibility. Newer information seems to point to a smaller Salafist group. It is unclear whether this group adheres to the point of view of Sheikh Yassin al-Astal, who we noted had called afterwards for a stop to rocket attacks.
The Israeli military said in a statement that the men were about to launch a rocket attack against southern Israeli communities when they were struck. Palestinian hospital officials confirmed that the five dead were militants.
Notable, however, is that the airstrike - which everyone would admit was purely military - is being slammed by Israel's "peace partners" in Fatah. A Fatah spokesman referred to the event by saying that "Israel committed a horrific massacre against our people in Gaza resulting in five martyrs."
Yes, according to the moderates in Fatah, any attempt by Israel to stop an imminent attack on her territory is a "horrific massacre."