Funerals for two alleged militants killed in separate Gaza airstrikes

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• published: 31 Jul 2015
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SHOTLIST Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip 1. Wide of mourners carrying body of Hisham Saidani, a Gaza Salafist 2. Saidani's body covered with Salafi flag 3. Various of of funeral procession 4. Wide of cemetery, men standing with, holding black Salafi flags 5. Close-up of black Salafi flag 6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) masked Salafi member, name not given: "God willing, the retaliation to this cowardly crime, the killing of Sheikh Saidani, Sheikh Sabah, will be something the sons of pigs and monkies who did this will hear, but not see." 7. Salafi flag being held Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip 8. Wide of mourners attending funeral of militant killed in early on Sunday morning during Israeli air strike 9. Mourners carrying body covered with white cloth 10. Body carried up stairs 11. Various of mourners crying and kissing the body 12. Body taken out of house 13. Mourners crying 14. Various of mourners during funeral procession 15. Mourners carrying body STORYLINE Hundreds of Palestinian mourners on Sunday attended the funeral of a member of the ultraconservative Salafi group, believed to have ties to al-Qaida. Hisham Saidani was killed on Saturday evening along with his bodyguard. Saidani was the leader of a small group called Tawhid wal-Jihad, which sought to unite all the Salafi factions in Gaza. Saidani, who was respected by most of those groups, was suspected of carrying out attacks against Israeli and Egyptian targets. Gaza's ruling Hamas party arrested Saidani, also known as Sheikh Abu Walid-al-Maqdasi, last year in the one of most high-profile arrests against Gaza's Salafis. He was released two months ago. The Salafi groups have tried to challenge Hamas rule and believe the militant group is too moderate. Another funeral was held in Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip. It was of a militant belonging to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine killed early on Sunday when Israeli aircraft hit militants planning a rocket attack. Since the latest round of violence began last Sunday, Palestinians have fired more than 40 rockets at Israeli communities near Gaza, the military said. No one has been injured, but the rockets caused damage to property. Israel says it holds Gaza's Hamas rulers responsible for violence committed by any militant faction in the territory. The two have largely maintained an unwritten truce since a brief war nearly four years ago, but flare-ups occur occasionally. Hamas blamed Israel for the fresh violence, suggesting that elections in Israel, set for early next year, were the reason behind the attacks. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/9bce6973064e79fc960289352d0df865 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork