IDF bombs 'terror mosque'

Gloves are off: Air Force razes Gaza Strip mosque used by Palestinian rocket cells targeting Israeli communities; several people reportedly hurt in strike. Army officials say rockets, explosives stored inside mosque
Hanan Greenberg

IDF razes terror mosque: The IDF confirmed Wednesday afternoon that Air Force jets bombed a mosque in western Gaza City. Medical sources in the Strip said that several people were hurt in the attack.

IDF officials said that the mosque was used by terrorists as a storage site for missiles and explosive materials. The army said that Palestinian rocket cells were firing at Israel from the mosque area and from nearby sites.

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A short while after the Air Force attack, additional explosions could be heard in the mosque, apparently as result of arms blowing up.

In recent days, the army had been closely monitoring the mosque and discovered that it was used as a hiding spot by Hamas members, who proceeded to fire rockets at Israel from the area.

The attack on the mosque was carried out in line with legal authorization provided by the military's experts on international law. Earlier, Judge Advocate-General Avichai Mandelblith approved strikes against sites used for terror activity, even if they happen to be located in holy or sensitive spots.

A short while earlier, the Air Force attacked an ammunition warehouse in the Khan Younis area where a senior Islamic Jihad figure involved in rocket attacks was staying. The IDF said that it conformed a hit, and that the man, Amar Abu Alula, was involved in producing and upgrading the terror group's rocket capabilities.

Roee Nahmias contributed to the story