GAZA: Israeli air strikes hit suspected militant targets throughout Gaza in a series of night-time attacks

Israeli aircraft conducted several air strikes in Gaza late Thursday (May 24), and into the early hours of Friday (May 25) hitting Hamas positions in Gaza City and in the southern town of Khan Younis, where local residents said five people were wounded. One air strike hit a building across the street from the Reuters office in Gaza City. Prior to massive explosion, the droning sounds of unseen aircraft were heard coming from the night sky. It was not immediately clear what the target might have been. Nevertheless a storefront property was completely shattered. The target of another air strike in Gaza City was much more clear. A facility near the residence of Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh was destroyed. The building was used by his bodyguards, Gaza journalists said. At a third location in Gaza City, a crater was the only thing left of a building reportedly used by Hamas militants. While Israeli commanders have insisted they are targeting militants, some civilians have been casualties of recent air strikes. Shortly after one of the Hamas building bombings, two cars carrying wounded women rushed to a Gaza City hospital. In the southern Gaza community of Khan Younis, five people were injured after an attack destroyed another building affiliated with Hamas. Yet another air strike destroyed a metal workshop, which the Israeli military described as an Islamic Jihad weapons factory, in the southern town of Rafah. Israeli military leaders say they have conducted the air strikes in response to cross-border rocket attacks fired by Palestinian militants in Gaza. One Israeli woman was killed in a rocket attack in the southern Israeli town of Sderot earlier in the week. Several dozen have been injured. More than 150 rockets have been fired from Gaza. Some 50 Palestinians have died in this month's factional Palestinian fighting. Israeli air strikes have killed at least 35 other Palestinians. Militant groups have said 23 of the 35 killed in the Israeli air strikes were fighters.

ITN Source | May 25, 2007

Tags:. .least. .bombings. .third. .positions. .minister