Rocket strikes south of Tel Aviv; IDF kills five Gazans

A rocket fired by Palestinian militants in Gaza Thursday struck an open field in northern Ashkelon. The location, south of Israel's largest city, Tel Aviv, is the furthest distance a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip has struck yet, daily Haaretz says. Rocket strikes south of Tel Aviv; IDF kills five Gazans The rocket was identified as a Grad-type Katyusha, 122 millimeters in diameter, according to Army Radio. Militants acquired the rocket from Iran and have used the type before in attacks on Israel. Earlier Thursday, two Qassam rockets hit the western Negev. There were no damages or injuries reported in any of the incidents. Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces troops backed by the Israel Air Force killed at least five Palestinians, three of them militants, early Thursday in the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF said. Hamas officials reported heavy clashes between its men and IDF troops east of Khan Younis and at least nine IAF air strikes overnight that wounded 10 people, at least three critically. It was not clear how many of the wounded were still alive as heavy fire prevented ambulances from evacuating the wounded to hospital. Also Thursday, an IDF tank shell landed in the area of the clashes, killing a militant from the Islamic Jihad, his mother and sister and wounding six others, Palestinian officials said. The army said it was unaware of this incident. Dr. Moaiya Hassanain of the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza confirmed there were at least five dead and 21 wounded, among them five in critical condition, in both of Thursday's incidents. Later in the daym, IAF warplanes struck a series of targets associated with terrorist activity in the Gaza Strip on Thursday. The pilots who carried out the mission reported successful strikes on the targets, which included a weapons workshop belonging to Islamic Jihad in Gaza City, a building connected to a Jihad activist in the central Strip and a Hamas target in southern Gaza. There were no immediate reports of injuries, but ambulances were racing to the scene. Officials with the ruling Hamas militant group said the home belonged to Mohammed Dadouh, a master rocket maker from the Islamic Jihad militant group who was killed in an IAF airstrike last week. The home is next to a Hamas training base. The IDF was investigating the report. The fighting followed a day in which the IDF killed seven Palestinian militants in its war against armed groups in the Gaza Strip, just a week before U.S. President George W. Bush arrives in the region to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace. Bush has no plans to visit Gaza, which is controlled by the Islamic militant group Hamas. But persistent violence in the area could overshadow his visit, his first to the region as president. Also Wednesday, a senior militant of the Palestinian Resistance Committees was moderately wounded in an IAF attack on the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun. The strike, which targeted a vehicle carrying top PRC members, was jointly orchestrated by the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security service. Palestinian witnesses said two other people were lightly to moderately wounded in the attack. Meanwhile, the IDF killed seven Hamas, Popular Resistance Committees and Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade militants early Wednesday morning in a joint operation that included both land and air forces. Palestinians reported that five of the militants were killed by an IAF missile strike while a sixth militant from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade was killed in a gunfight with IDF soldiers on the ground. Israel Defense Forces, IDF, troops in Gaza (AP/Beta)

Rocket strikes south of Tel Aviv; IDF kills five Gazans

The rocket was identified as a Grad-type Katyusha, 122 millimeters in diameter, according to Army Radio. Militants acquired the rocket from Iran and have used the type before in attacks on Israel.

Earlier Thursday, two Qassam rockets hit the western Negev. There were no damages or injuries reported in any of the incidents.

Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces troops backed by the Israel Air Force killed at least five Palestinians, three of them militants, early Thursday in the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF said.

Hamas officials reported heavy clashes between its men and IDF troops east of Khan Younis and at least nine IAF air strikes overnight that wounded 10 people, at least three critically.

It was not clear how many of the wounded were still alive as heavy fire prevented ambulances from evacuating the wounded to hospital.

Also Thursday, an IDF tank shell landed in the area of the clashes, killing a militant from the Islamic Jihad, his mother and sister and wounding six others, Palestinian officials said. The army said it was unaware of this incident.

Dr. Moaiya Hassanain of the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza confirmed there were at least five dead and 21 wounded, among them five in critical condition, in both of Thursday's incidents.

Later in the daym, IAF warplanes struck a series of targets associated with terrorist activity in the Gaza Strip on Thursday.

The pilots who carried out the mission reported successful strikes on the targets, which included a weapons workshop belonging to Islamic Jihad in Gaza City, a building connected to a Jihad activist in the central Strip and a Hamas target in southern Gaza.

There were no immediate reports of injuries, but ambulances were racing to the scene.

Officials with the ruling Hamas militant group said the home belonged to Mohammed Dadouh, a master rocket maker from the Islamic Jihad militant group who was killed in an IAF airstrike last week. The home is next to a Hamas training base.

The IDF was investigating the report.

The fighting followed a day in which the IDF killed seven Palestinian militants in its war against armed groups in the Gaza Strip, just a week before U.S. President George W. Bush arrives in the region to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Bush has no plans to visit Gaza, which is controlled by the Islamic militant group Hamas. But persistent violence in the area could overshadow his visit, his first to the region as president.

Also Wednesday, a senior militant of the Palestinian Resistance Committees was moderately wounded in an IAF attack on the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun.

The strike, which targeted a vehicle carrying top PRC members, was jointly orchestrated by the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security service.

Palestinian witnesses said two other people were lightly to moderately wounded in the attack.

Meanwhile, the IDF killed seven Hamas, Popular Resistance Committees and Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade militants early Wednesday morning in a joint operation that included both land and air forces.

Palestinians reported that five of the militants were killed by an IAF missile strike while a sixth militant from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade was killed in a gunfight with IDF soldiers on the ground.