Death Toll In Gaza Rises To 11 As Israeli Air Raids Continue

Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip continued on Thursday, raising the death toll here to 11 after the raids killed three Palestinians early in the morning.

On the other hand, Palestinian militant groups kept firing barrages of rockets out of Gaza, targeting southern Israel communities, where Israeli media reported a number of casualties Thursday morning.

Three Palestinian militants were killed when Israeli airplanes hit their motorbikes in southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis. Security sources said that they were likely members of Ezz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Hamas movement.

Hamas received a blow Wednesday when Israeli airplanes hit and killed Ahmed al-Jaabari, the head of al-Qassam Brigades, and his escort in Gaza City, sparking Palestinian rocket fire.

Around midnight, paramedics picked up the body of a 65-year-old man who died earlier when F-16 airplanes hit an open area near Nusseirat refugee camp in the middle of the Gaza Strip.

Five other civilians, including a one-month-old toddler and two girls aged seven and 20 respectively, were also killed in a series of concurrent air raids all over the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.

The Israeli airstrikes target open spaces that the militant groups use to fire rockets from or to store weapons in. They also hit training sites and security posts, causing damage and injuries to residents of nearby houses.

The Health Ministry in Gaza said at least 70 Palestinians were wounded, including 15 children and 18 women.

Xinhuanet