Israeli military strikes Gaza Strip overnight
The attacks were launched in response to a rocket fire from the Gaza Strip towards southern Israel
Two Palestinians were hurt, one critically, in an Israeli air strike on Gaza City on Sunday, which the military said had targeted a senior Islamic Jihad militant.
The army said the militant launched five rockets toward Israel late last week.
“The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) successfully targeted a terrorist operative involved in recent attacks against Israel and was planning further attacks in the coming days,” it said in a statement.
The army accuses Ahmad Saad of Islamic Jihad of planning rocket launches against the Jewish state.
“Saad is personally responsible for the launching of five rockets towards Ashkelon on January 16, 2014 which were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system,” said the army.
“The IDF operated in order to eliminate an imminent threat to the lives of Israeli civilians.”
An Islamic Jihad official in Gaza confirmed Saad was targeted Sunday. He spoke anonymously because he was unauthorized to speak to media, according to the Associated Press.
Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Kidra said two civilians were wounded in the attack.
The morning strike followed another two overnight which came after a rocket hit southern Israel on Saturday, causing no damage or casualties.
On January 8, an Islamic Jihad militant was killed near Gaza City in what medics and family said was an Israeli drone strike, but the army denied any involvement.
Since the start of the year, tensions have risen in and around Gaza after a year of relative calm, with five people killed since December 20. Four of the victims were Palestinian and one was Israeli.
Since January 1, eight rockets fired from Gaza have landed in Israel with another five intercepted by Iron Dome last Thursday.
(With AFP and AP)
-
Gaza rockets strike near Sharon burial place
Israel buried Sharon in his family farm with celebrations of his military achievements Middle East -
Smuggled sperm brings baby joy to Gaza prisoner’s family
Palestinians view such births as an act of defiance against Israel's jail policies Healthy Living -
Israeli strike wounds two fighters in Gaza
The strike came after three mortar rounds were fired at Israeli troops along the southern border fence Middle East -
Palestinian youth shot by Israeli troops dies
Adnan Abu Khater was shot on Thursday near the border fence in the northern Gaza Strip Middle East -
Israel strikes in Gaza after rocket attack
An Israeli aircraft targeted an infrastructure site in central Gaza Middle East -
Lack of fuel grounds Gaza’s sole power plant
The closure of the power station means that electricity supplies to Gaza would be limited to six hours a day, an official says Energy -
Israel launches airstrikes in Gaza in response to rocket attacks
The army said Thursday’s airstrikes targeted a weapons manufacturing facility and a weapons storage facility Middle East -
Israel bombs Hamas sites in Gaza
The attacks came after the shooting of an Israeli civilian Middle East