Israel strikes Gaza targets after rocket salvo

Israel said it struck targets in the Gaza Strip on Monday after Palestinian militants fired rockets at southern Israel, in what they said was a response to an Israel air strike on Sunday that wounded two militants and eight bystanders.

Sunday’s Israeli air strike was aimed at two Palestinian militants, one of whom was critically
wounded. The armed wing of Hamas, the Islamists who control the Gaza Strip, said it joined in Monday's rocket attack along with the Islamic Jihad group.

Gaza has been under the control of Hamas since 2007. The Islamist group rejects permanent peace with Israel and the two sides fought a three-week war in December-January 2008-2009. The border is tense, with frequent clashes.

The Israeli army says over 470 rockets have been fired from Gaza this year, but it was the first time since June that Hamas had acknowledged launching rockets at Israel. A Hamas spokesman said the movement would not remain passive in the face of what it called “one-sided” Israeli violence. The Israeli army said it had targeted “Hamas terror activity sites and terrorist squads”.