Israeli aircraft strike Gaza after deadly rocket attack
Israeli aircraft attacked at least six targets in the Gaza Strip early today, the day after a rocket fired from the Palestinian enclave killed a Thai worker in Israel as Baroness Ashton of Upholland, the EU’s deputy foreign policy chief, was visiting the blockaded territory.
Two civilians were wounded in one of three attacks on smuggling tunnels along the border with Egypt. The other targets included two open areas in Khan Younis and a metal foundry near Gaza City.
An Israeli military spokesman confirmed six sites had been targeted, including two tunnels dug near the Israeli border fence and a weapons manufacturing site, and added "direct hits were identified."
The rocket attack, from a radical Palestinian group with suspected ties to al-Qaeda, was the third in 24 hours, but the first deadly attack from Gaza at Israel in more than a year.
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It came as Lady Ashton was visiting UN facilities in the coastal enclave, which was hard hit in a war 14 months ago when Israel launched a major offensive to try to stamp out constant rocket fire by Hamas, who rule the territory, and other militant groups.
On Thursday, Silvan Shalom, Israel's deputy Prime Minister, warned that Israel would make a strong response to the attack by the little known Ansar al-Sunna group, who consider Hamas to be too moderate and not Islamic enough.
Israel also sent a letter of complaint to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who is due to visit Israel at the weekend, and the UN Security Council.
Hamas Islamists, who took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, had been urging other militant groups not to strike Israel, voicing concern about possible Israeli retaliation.
Palestinian militants in Gaza have carried out sporadic rocket and mortar bomb attacks on Israel since the end of a three-week Gaza war in January 2009, in which 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed, usually without causing any casualties.
The Israeli military spokesman said more than 330 rockets have been fired from Gaza since the war. "We will continue to act against anyone who executes terror attacks against Israel," he said, reading a prepared statement.
The latest air strikes took place before a planned visit by US envoy George Mitchell, who is seeking to relaunch moribund peace talks in the region.
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