This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18558699#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 1 | Version 2 |
---|---|
Israeli strikes kills two in Gaza | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Israeli airstrikes have killed two Palestinians and injured at least four others, just days after a ceasefire calmed a flare-up of violence. | |
The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) said the airstrikes have been targeted at people preparing or firing rockets. | |
The Gaza border with Israel has seen some of the worst violence in recent months over the last week. | The Gaza border with Israel has seen some of the worst violence in recent months over the last week. |
Since Monday, Israeli airstrikes have killed at least nine Palestinians while militants have fired over 130 rockets. | |
Earlier on Friday, Palestinian militants launched two rockets into Israel which did not cause any damage. | |
Friday's attacks are the first instances of violence since an Egypt-brokered ceasefire was put in place on Wednesday. | |
Hamas involvement | Hamas involvement |
In a statement, the Israeli Defence Force said it had "targeted a terrorist squad during preparations to fire a rocket at Israel from the central Gaza Strip" in its first airstrike. | |
That attack killed a man called Basel Ahmed, who was buried later on Friday. A second airstrike killed an unnamed 18 year-old, who the IDF said had been part of a group firing rockets into Israel. | |
Initial reports suggested both men may have been from an Islamist Salafi militant group, but this has not been confirmed. | |
The latest clashes started with air strikes on Monday morning, just hours after gunmen from Sinai carried out an ambush along Israel's southern border with Egypt, killing an Israeli-Arab construction worker. | The latest clashes started with air strikes on Monday morning, just hours after gunmen from Sinai carried out an ambush along Israel's southern border with Egypt, killing an Israeli-Arab construction worker. |
Escalations of violence like this happen every few months, but on this occasion the ruling Islamist group Hamas has admitted to carrying out some of the rocket attacks itself for the first time in a year. | Escalations of violence like this happen every few months, but on this occasion the ruling Islamist group Hamas has admitted to carrying out some of the rocket attacks itself for the first time in a year. |
It has largely held back from carrying out itself since Israel's three week offensive in Gaza in 2008-2009, Operation Cast Lead. | It has largely held back from carrying out itself since Israel's three week offensive in Gaza in 2008-2009, Operation Cast Lead. |