An Israeli F16 warplane destroyed at predawn on Saturday a Palestinian-owned house in southern Gaza Strip by firing an air-to-ground rocket at the houses causing no injuries, security sources said.

The sources said that an Israeli army officer telephoned the owner of the three-store house Hamdi al-Ashshi and ordered him to evacuate his house only 15 minutes before it was targeted.

Eyewitnesses said that an F16 warplane flew over the area and suddenly a huge blast was heard in al-Sallam neighborhood in the town of Rafah near the borders between Gaza Strip and Egypt, but no injuries were reported.

At dawn Saturday, Palestinian security sources said that more than 20 Israeli army tanks and armored vehicles backed by fighting aircraft stormed the eastern part of Jabalia town in northern Gaza Strip.

According to eyewitnesses, the Israeli army forces incurred into the area amid intensive gunfire, and Palestinian militants fired several homemade missiles at the Israeli forces.

There has been no injuries were reported, yet.

Earlier, in the town of Abbassan, east of the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis, residents said that the Israeli army force stormed the eastern part of Abbassan had pulled out after a two-day ground operation.

The Israeli army killed seven Palestinians in the area, including a mother and a child, two other civilians and three militants during the ground operation into eastern Abbassan town.

Israeli television Channel 10 reported that the Israeli army large-scale ground and air operation into the Gaza Strip would be close that aimed at preventing firing homemade rockets from Gaza at Israel, and free a captive Israeli soldier.

Source: Xinhua