News / Palestine

Israeli warplanes bomb Gaza for third day

Friday, 06 May 2016 7:27 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 06 May 2016 12:11 PM ]

Smoke rises following an Israeli air strike in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on May 5, 2016. ©AFP

Israeli warplanes have bombed the Gaza Strip for the third day running, escalating fears of a new flare-up in a military confrontation with the Palestinians.

Palestinian witnesses said there were two sets of air raids on Friday morning, one targeting Beit Lahia in northern Gaza and the second in Khuza'a, southeast of Khan Yunis, in the south of the besieged territory.

A military statement said Israeli aircraft targeted a Hamas infrastructure, with no reports of casualties.

It was the fourth Israeli military’s air raid on the enclave since Wednesday. According to the Israeli army, Palestinians fired mortar rounds from Gaza at Israeli forces near Gaza border on Friday.

It came a day after the Israeli tank fire killed a 54-year-old Palestinian woman, identified as Aytah al-Amur, in her home in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza Strip.

Relatives of a Palestinian woman killed by Israeli tank fire mourn during her funeral in Khan Yunis, Gaza, May 5, 2016. ©Reuters

Another Palestinian was also wounded in the attack. At least 10 mortar rounds have been fired into Israel since the Tel Aviv regime began its new phase of bombing Gaza on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army said on Thursday that they found a tunnel along the border. Gazans have been using the tunnels to bring in basic needs into the besieged enclave.

The Ezzedine Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, warned the Israeli regime to stop the attacks.

The group accused Israeli forces of encroaching on the Palestinian territory and voiced readiness to retaliate.

Israel continues to carry out attacks on the besieged territory of about 1.8 million people from time to time.

In early July 2014, the regime launched a 50-day offensive against Gaza, killing nearly 2,200 Palestinians, including 577 children, and injuring Over 11,100 others.

The recent flare-up has raised concerns over the fate of an Egypt-brokered truce deal between Hamas and Tel Aviv that put an end to the 2014 Israeli military campaign, and has since been largely holding.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to convene his security cabinet Friday morning to discuss the latest developments, public radio reported.

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