By Xinhua
Gaza : Palestinian armed groups shelled southern Israel communities with makeshift rockets Saturday in response to the death of eight Palestinians Friday in a mysterious explosion that the factions held Israel responsibility.
The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) said that it had fired 10 home-made rockets onto Israeli targets in Western Negev and southern Israel’s port city of Ashkelon.
“The rocket attacks are in response to the al-Burij massacre,” said Abu Mujahed, the PRC spokesman, referring to the explosion that destroyed the house of a senior Islamic Jihad commander in central Gaza Strip last night.
Israel denied any involvement in the explosion but witnesses say that F16 warplanes have struck the house, killing the commander, his wife and children, and several neighbors.
The armed wings of the leftist factions, meanwhile, claimed responsibility for firing a number of mortar shells at two Israeli-controlled commercial crossing points into Gaza.
“The world should remember the Israeli massacres against the Palestinian people in order not to blame the Palestinians one day when they carry out operations against the Israeli enemy,” Abu Mujahed said.
“There is no security for the Zionists in their settlements and streets… the confrontation embarked on a new phase of conflict,” he added, threatening to carry out suicide bombings into Israel.