GAZA CITY — Palestinian gunners have again targeted strategic
facilities in Israel.
Hamas and aligned groups have renewed missile fire toward Israeli
strategic facilities in Ashkelon. The city contains a petrochemical plant,
power station and desalination facility.
On Wednesday, Hamas fired a Kassam-class, short-range missile that
landed in the industrial zone in Ashkelon. One person was injured in the
area, which contains the second largest power station in Israel, Middle East Newsline reporte.
The Iranian-sponsored Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for firing
two missiles that struck the power plant in Ashkelon. Jihad said the station
was damaged.
Palestinian gunners have fired six to eight Kassams per day into Israel.
So far, the attacks have not resulted in casualties.
Israel has employed fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft to strike missile
arsenals in the Gaza Strip. On Wednesday, a house suspected of containing
Kassam missiles was destroyed.
At the same time, the Israel Navy has fired artillery against suspected
Hamas strongholds. The targets have included the Gaza port, believed to have
been used for arms smuggling.
The naval strikes destroyed a building and boats owned by a Palestinian
identified as Abbas Beker. Beker has been described as the leading smuggler
in the Palestinian Authority.
Israeli troops have also been operating in the Rafah area of southern
Gaza. Israeli military sources said the ground forces were searching
for Palestinian missile caches and killed eight suspected insurgents.
"During the operation, the IDF attacked a number of terrorist cells in
the southern Gaza Strip," a military statement said on Thursday. "The IDF
identified striking no less than 15 terrorists -- some armed with anti-tank
missiles and light arms, in addition to terrorists who were identified
planting explosive devices in the area. During the activities, an anti-tank
missile was fired towards an IDF force. No one was injured in the attack."
