Six Palestinians killed after militants hit Israeli jeep
The flare-up was one of the most serious since Israel's devastating operation in the Gaza Strip over New Year 2009.
GAZA CITY:
Six Palestinians were killed and 32 injured by Israeli strikes on Gaza after militants fired on an Israeli jeep, wounding four soldiers, medics and witnesses said on Sunday.
The flare-up, which began on Saturday, was one of the most serious since Israel's devastating 22-day operation in the Gaza Strip over New Year 2009.
In the latest in a spate of attacks and counter-attacks between the army and Palestinians, a suspected militant was killed and two other people wounded in an Israeli air strike near the northern Gaza town of Jabaliya overnight, medics said.
The dead man was named as Mohammed Shwikani, a 20-year-old militant with the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, the group said.
Early on Sunday, medics reported finding the body of another suspected militant, 20-year-old Mohammed Abed, who was killed in another air strike east of Jabaliya, raising the death toll to six over 12 hours of bloodshed.
The Israeli military said it had attacked seven different targets overnight, including arms dumps, a weapons-making facility and two rocket-launching sites "in response to recent events."
The army said at least 36 rockets fired from Gaza had landed in Israel during the flare-up, with a new barrage on Sunday morning injuring four people in the Israeli town of Sderot, several kilometres from the border.
The violence erupted Saturday evening when militants fired an anti-tank missile at an Israeli jeep near the Karni crossing along the border east of Gaza City.
The army confirmed four soldiers were wounded in the attack, which was claimed by the armed wing of the left-leaning Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
Military sources said two of the soldiers were in serious condition.
In response, Israel fired a barrage of artillery fire and shells, killing four people and wounding 32, according to Ashraf al Qudra, spokesman for the Hamas-run health ministry.
Medics said 10 of the injured were in "serious to critical condition" and Qudra said 10 of those wounded had undergone amputations.
He named the four civilians killed as 20-year-old Matar Abul Ata, 17-year-old Mohamed Harara, 15-year-old Ahmed Harara and 18-year-old Ahmed Dardasawy.
The violence prompted authorities on both sides of the border to close some schools.
Six Palestinians were killed and 32 injured by Israeli strikes on Gaza after militants fired on an Israeli jeep, wounding four soldiers, medics and witnesses said on Sunday.
The flare-up, which began on Saturday, was one of the most serious since Israel's devastating 22-day operation in the Gaza Strip over New Year 2009.
In the latest in a spate of attacks and counter-attacks between the army and Palestinians, a suspected militant was killed and two other people wounded in an Israeli air strike near the northern Gaza town of Jabaliya overnight, medics said.
The dead man was named as Mohammed Shwikani, a 20-year-old militant with the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, the group said.
Early on Sunday, medics reported finding the body of another suspected militant, 20-year-old Mohammed Abed, who was killed in another air strike east of Jabaliya, raising the death toll to six over 12 hours of bloodshed.
The Israeli military said it had attacked seven different targets overnight, including arms dumps, a weapons-making facility and two rocket-launching sites "in response to recent events."
The army said at least 36 rockets fired from Gaza had landed in Israel during the flare-up, with a new barrage on Sunday morning injuring four people in the Israeli town of Sderot, several kilometres from the border.
The violence erupted Saturday evening when militants fired an anti-tank missile at an Israeli jeep near the Karni crossing along the border east of Gaza City.
The army confirmed four soldiers were wounded in the attack, which was claimed by the armed wing of the left-leaning Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
Military sources said two of the soldiers were in serious condition.
In response, Israel fired a barrage of artillery fire and shells, killing four people and wounding 32, according to Ashraf al Qudra, spokesman for the Hamas-run health ministry.
Medics said 10 of the injured were in "serious to critical condition" and Qudra said 10 of those wounded had undergone amputations.
He named the four civilians killed as 20-year-old Matar Abul Ata, 17-year-old Mohamed Harara, 15-year-old Ahmed Harara and 18-year-old Ahmed Dardasawy.
The violence prompted authorities on both sides of the border to close some schools.