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Israel hit by Hamas rocket salvo | |
(35 minutes later) | |
The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas has fired a volley of rockets into southern Israel following a series of air strikes by Israeli forces. | |
Hamas said it was responding to "Zionist aggression", after accusing Israel of killing five of its fighters. | |
Israel denied killing the men, but warned of a "deterioration" and said 1,500 reservists had been called up. | |
Tension has spiked in recent days over the murders of three young Israelis and a Palestinian teenager. | |
An Israeli official said about 20 rockets were fired in just a few minutes on Monday night, adding that four had been destroyed by the Iron Dome anti-missile system. | An Israeli official said about 20 rockets were fired in just a few minutes on Monday night, adding that four had been destroyed by the Iron Dome anti-missile system. |
Hamas released a statement saying it had "fired dozens of rockets" on several towns in central and southern Israel. | |
There was no immediate word on casualties or damage in Israel. | There was no immediate word on casualties or damage in Israel. |
A Hamas spokesman had earlier accused Israel of killing the five militants during Sunday's air strikes and called it a "grave escalation". | |
He promised Israel would "pay a tremendous price". | |
But Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Peter Lerner denied the claims, saying the men had died on Sunday in a tunnel that had been bombarded by Israel on Thursday. | |
He said the militants went into the tunnel to assess the damage from the air strike and meddled with some explosives, which were apparently detonated accidentally. | |
'Terror' targets | |
The Israeli military said its air strikes on Sunday night had hit "terror sites and concealed rocket launchers" in response to earlier rocket and mortar fire from Gaza. | |
Col Lerner said the military was now preparing for a deterioration in Gaza, and had called up 1,500 reservists. | Col Lerner said the military was now preparing for a deterioration in Gaza, and had called up 1,500 reservists. |
Elsewhere in Gaza, Hamas said a drone had attacked a site in northern Gaza on Sunday, killing one fighter. | |
Two other militants were killed in a separate strike east of the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, the Islamist movement's military wing said. | |
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's response to the rockets as too weak. | |
On Monday, Mr Lieberman said his Yisrael Beitenu party was scrapping a 20-month alliance with Mr Netanyahu's Likud party as a result. | On Monday, Mr Lieberman said his Yisrael Beitenu party was scrapping a 20-month alliance with Mr Netanyahu's Likud party as a result. |
'Full extent of law' | |
Meanwhile, Mr Netanyahu has been attempting to reassure the family of murdered Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdair that the authorities will take action. | |
The prime minister's office said Mr Netanyahu had met the youth's father and offered his condolences. | |
"We acted immediately to apprehend the murderers," Mr Netanyahu's office quoted him as telling Hussein Abu Khdair. | |
"We will bring them to trial and they will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law." | |
On Sunday, Israeli police said they had arrested six Jewish suspects in connection with the death of the 16-year-old from East Jerusalem. | On Sunday, Israeli police said they had arrested six Jewish suspects in connection with the death of the 16-year-old from East Jerusalem. |
Investigators said he was "murdered because of his nationality", but further details have not been divulged because the case is subject to a gagging order. | |
Just hours before his death, funerals were held for three Israeli teenagers whose bodies were found in the occupied West Bank on Monday. | |
The Israeli authorities have named two known Hamas operatives who they say abducted and killed Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaer - both 16 years old - and Eyal Yifrach, 19, last month. The group denies any involvement. | The Israeli authorities have named two known Hamas operatives who they say abducted and killed Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaer - both 16 years old - and Eyal Yifrach, 19, last month. The group denies any involvement. |
Mohammed Abu Khdair's family believe he was killed in revenge for the three murders. | |
Are you in the area? Do you have any information you would like to share? Please send us your comments. You can email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line 'Gaza'. | Are you in the area? Do you have any information you would like to share? Please send us your comments. You can email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line 'Gaza'. |