Israel hits Gaza tonight

22-03-2011,08:51

Al Qassam website - GAZA CITY - Israeli jets carried out a series of strikes in Gaza, wounding 17 people, mostly lightly, Palestinian emergency workers said.

They said that two women and seven children were among those hurt. An Israeli military spokesman admitted aircraft attacked a total of six targets.

Palestinian witnesses said that among targets in the north and centre of the strip were a police post and a training facility.

Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades earlier offered to stop cross-border fire into Israel if the Israelis halted attacks on Gaza.

A civilian factory producing construction materials and a metal workshop were also hit, while in southern Gaza there were at least three strikes in the vicinity of Khan Younis town, witnesses said.

One targeted a group of Palestinians, one a building belonging to the town council and another an empty plot, they said, adding that no casualties were recorded.

Ezzedine al-Qassam fired about 50 mortar rounds into Israel on Saturday, Saturday's firing had been in response to an Israeli strike last week which killed two of its members.

"If the enemy stops the escalation and aggression against our people we will implement the Palestinian national agreement," the statement said, referring to a truce reaffirmed by the main militant factions in January.

"The enemy will pay a heavy price if it continues its agression and crimes against our people in the Gaza Strip," the statement added.

Witnesses said the target of the first raid was a car repair workshop east of Gaza City.

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