An Israeli air strike claimed the life of Hamas’ interior minister today.

Hamas officials are confirming that an Israeli airstrike killed the Hamas interior minister, who oversaw thousands of security agents in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army confirmed the airstrike.

Hamas television says Interior Minister Said Siam was killed in a strike that flattened a home in Gaza City. A top aide, Siam’s brother and his brother’s family were also killed. Siam is considered to be among Hamas’ top five leaders in Gaza.

Israel certainly appears to be moving up Hamas’ ranks. Said Siam is was a big fish. Unfortunately, we’ll soon see the role refilled by some other Hamashole.

Via Outside the Beltway.

Israel Apologizes for Mortaring UN Compound

Meanwhile, Israel has apologized to the United Nations for mortaring its compound in Gaza, though the IDF says that it was responding to an attack from the location. The UN, of course, denies.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says the Israeli army shelled the U.N. complex in Gaza City today because, he told reporters, soldiers “were attacked from there and the response was harsh.”

The shelling set a U.N. warehouse full of food and supplies intended for Palestinians on fire.

Olmert’s office confirmed to ABC News that Olmert talked with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and told him, “This was a sad incident for which I am sorry but our troops were attacked from there and the reaction was forceful.”

The United Nations had already dismissed the self-defense charge.

But of course. Maybe there was a “baby milk factory” on the grounds. As Ed Morrissey points out, the UN has already had to back down from earlier denials about the IDF’s activities:

The UN also initially denied that Hamas operated from its UNRWA school in the earlier shelling, but eventually changed its tune after the IDF provided videotape from previous attacks at the school.

Indeed, the principal at the United Nations school had been making bombs for jihadists at night. Not such a stretch that attacks would be coming from another UN location.