Israeli Warplanes Raid Besieged Gaza, January 5, 2011

[ 05/01/2011 - 10:13 AM ]

RAFAH, (PIC)--

Israeli occupation forces warplanes launched two raids on besieged central and southern Gaza Strip at a late hour on Tuesday night causing severe material damage, security sources reported.

The Palestinian sources said that the first raid targeted a position for the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, west of Dair Al-Balah in central Gaza inflicting big damage. They added that an F-16 fired one missile at the position.

In the second raid, the warplanes blasted a tunnel on the Egyptian-Palestinian borders south of Rafah city slightly injuring a civilian and damaging a number of nearby tunnels.

Israeli warplanes are continuing to intensify their flights over the Strip spreading fears among citizens of further imminent raids.

Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza twice overnight

Published today (updated) 05/01/2011 14:35

TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma'an) --

Israeli occupation government airforce struck two areas in the besieged Gaza Strip overnight, in what a statement said was a "response to this morning's firing of a Qassam Rocket," which allegedly hit outside Ashkelon on Tuesday.

According to the military, the sites targeted were a "Hamas terror activity center" in the central Gaza Strip and a smuggling tunnel in the south near Rafah.

While the military said "Direct hits were confirmed," there have been no reports of injuries.

No resistance faction has claimed to have launched a projectile toward Israel since the evening of January 2.

In its statement, Israel noted that it "holds the Hamas terrorist organization solely responsible for maintaining the calm in the Gaza Strip and for any terrorist activity emanating from it," and added that its forces would "continue to respond harshly to any attempt to use terror against the State of Israel."

Reports in the Israeli media last week said a meeting between factions in Gaza resulted in a decision to stem the flow of projectiles fired toward Israel.

Israeli officials have reported an increase in projectile launches toward Israeli targets from within the Gaza Strip, while a report from the country's intelligence office said the number of projectile attacks by Gaza militants had sharply fallen in 2010.

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