GAZA CITY, Gaza, May 15 (UPI) -- A leader of the militant Islamic Jihad organization, Mohammad al-Hindi, escaped an Israeli assassination attempt Saturday in Gaza.
Islamic Jihad said Israeli helicopters fired three or four rockets at al-Hindi's office building, which also has residential apartments. A local hospital said 12 Palestinians were injured.
An official from the Islamic movement, Khader Habib, said al-Hindi was not in his office at the time of the attack. But Habib vowed to respond by "punishing the Zionist enemy" for what he termed, "this cowardly assassination attempt."
Israeli Army Radio quoted military sources as saying al-Hindi was undoubtedly a leader responsible for the terrorist acts of Islamic Jihad.
The radio said the air strike targeted the "centers of terror activities in Gaza," but did not say whether al-Hindi was specifically targeted.
Al-Hindi disappeared from public view in recent months to avoid an assassination attempt.
