IAF strikes tunnel in southern Gaza
Rocket hits Israel Saturday morning; Islamic Jihad militant reported by local residents as killed by aerial strike on rocket-launching team in Gaza
Israeli aircraft struck a tunnel near the Philadelphi route in the southern Gaza Strip Saturday evening. The army stated that the strike was a response to the rocket fire at Israel during the morning hours.
Earlier Saturday, an Israeli air strike killed a Palestinian operative and left another wounded in the northern Gaza Strip, local medical workers and residents said. An Israeli army spokesman said he was checking on the reported air strike.
A few hours earlier, three rockets launched from Gaza landed in open areas in the western Negev - near the Eshkol Regional Council, near Sderot and near Be'eri on the Ashkelon coastline. No casualties or damages were reported in any of the attacks. The Islamic Jihad took responsibility for the attacks.
Medical official Dr. Moawiya Hassanain and Islamic Jihad spokesman Abu Ahmed said the two casualties belonged to the Al-Quds Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Jihad - and conceded that the men had been firing rockets at Israel when they were targeted.
In late December, Israel launched a 22-day offensive in the Gaza Strip that was designed to punish militants for mounting cross-border rocket and mortar attacks on the Jewish state.
While Egypt has been trying to consolidate a Jan. 18 truce, militants have carried out sporadic attacks and Israel has usually responded with air strikes on suspected smuggling tunnels along the Gaza-Egypt border.
Ali Waked, Ilana Curiel and AP contributed to this report
