Israeli airstrike wounds Palestinian in northern Gaza

At least one Palestinian was wounded when an Israeli aircraft attacked a car in northern Gaza Strip on Monday afternoon, hospital sources said.

The injured was a civilian and he was moderately wounded, said the sources.

It was the first Israeli response to a series of rocket attacks carried out by Palestinian militants against southern Israel communities recently.

The Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement, which were behind the recent attacks, said the Israeli missiles have targeted a group of its fighters who, however, escaped the attempted assassination.

Witnesses said that the aircraft launched two rockets, the first one missed the Volkswagen car in the border town of Beit Hanoun and the second one exploded after it hit the car.

The Islamic Jihad doubled its rocket attacks from Gaza to retaliate the incursions and operations that the Israeli army stages in the West Bank.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday slammed Gaza rocket attacks and blamed militant factions on the collapse of the calmness, urging them to observe the ceasefire with Israel.

Source: Xinhua