Israel hits Gaza in overnight air raids

Israel hits Gaza in overnight air raids
The strikes in the blockaded Palestinian territory are believed to be in response to rocket fire targeting Israel.
1 min read
04 June, 2015
The Israeli iron dome is designed to keep out Palestinian rockets (AFP)
Israel struck the Gaza Strip with fresh air raids early on Thursday, with no injuries reported in the blockaded Palestinian territory.

The raids hit three training bases of the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, in Gaza City and a fourth in the southern city of Khan Yuonis.

The raids are believed to be in response to Palestinian rocket fire.

An Israeli military statement spoke only of three hits in total and did not give their location or identify the targets.

"Yesterday, June 3, 2015, two rockets were launched at southern Israel from the Gaza Strip," it said, adding that they fell on open ground near the southern city of Ashkelon and the town of Netivot. "No injuries were reported."

"In response to this attack, Israel ... struck three terror infrastructures in the Gaza Strip," it said.

The Israeli defence minister Moshe Yaalon blamed Hamas for the rocket fire.

"We will hold Hamas responsible for everything that happens in the Gaza Strip and we will not tolerate any attempt to harm our citizens," he said in a statement.

"We will not compromise the security of Israeli citizens and we will not accept a return to a situation of regular fire [from Gaza]."