Twelve Palestinians were killed and 10 others wounded in a series of Israeli air and ground strikes on Gaza militants since Wednesday afternoon, hospital and other sources said on Thursday morning.
During the strikes, Israeli army forces hit a militants' car in southern Gaza City, fired several artillery shells at militants in northern Gaza and sent ground forces into the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun.
Mo'awyea Hassanein, chief of emergency in the Palestinian Ministry of Health, said in a statement that a Palestinian man died of wounds on Thursday. He was critically wounded on Wednesday night in northern Gaza.
The Islamic Jihad confirmed that one of its militants, who exchanged fire with Israeli soldiers in the town, died of wounds.
Hassanein said that two Palestinians were killed and four wounded in an Israeli air strike on a group of people near the town. Hamas said that the two dead are members of its armed wing al-Qassam Brigades.
On Wednesday evening, an Israeli artillery shell felt near one of the houses in Beit Hanoun, leaving five people dead and five wounded. Two of the dead are members in the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC).
Shortly before the artillery shelling, an Israeli aircraft struck a car full of four militants, members in the radical group called the Army of Islam in southern Gaza City. Hassanein said all the four were killed.
Also on Wednesday, the Israeli army sent several tanks and armored vehicles in Beit Hanoun, which acted for several hours before pulling back before dawn. The aim of the fast operation was to crackdown on militants.
Several Militant groups claimed responsibility for launching more than 20 homemade missiles at southern Israeli towns and dozens of mortar shells at Israeli targets on the borders between Gaza and Israel. No injuries were reported.
Source: Xinhua
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