By Xinhua
Gaza : Seven Palestinians were killed and 15 others wounded on Thursday in a series of Israeli airstrikes on militants in northern Gaza Strip, medics, witnesses and Hamas security sources said.
Mo’aweya Hassanein, chief of emergency and ambulance services in the Palestinian ministry of health said on telephone that the casualties happened in altogether three Israeli airstrikes on northern Gaza Strip.
Hamas police said that seven Palestinians were killed, including six militants, five of them are members of Hamas’ armed wing of al-Qassam Brigades and one is from Saraya al-Quds, armed wing of Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement.
Palestinian witnesses in the town of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza Strip said that a school teacher was killed when a surface-to-surface missile landed near his school, and two students were injured by the missile’s fragments.
Hamas security sources said that three airstrikes were carried out on northern Gaza Strip, mainly near Jabalia refugee camp and in the town of Beit Hanoun. The intensive Israeli airstrikes on Gaza was a response to rocket attacks.
Overnight, one Palestinian was killed and three wounded in other three airstrikes carried out by Israeli aircraft on central, southern and northern Gaza Strip respectively.
Hamas movement’s armed wing said in a leaflet that its militants launched within the last 48 hours around 36 homemade rockets at southern Israeli towns.
Israel vowed a tough retaliation to the rocket attacks carried out from Gaza at Israel.
An Israeli army spokesman said the airstrikes targeting militants would go on as long as rocket attacks on Israel continued.