Israel strikes Gaza Strip, kills 4 Palestinians

IDF soldiers killed four Palestinians on Sunday in two separate incidents in the Gaza Strip. Both attacks came hours after militants in Gaza launched three rockets at the western Negev. Israel strikes Gaza Strip, kills 4 Palestinians Three Palestinians were killed when an Israel Air Force aircraft opened fire on them in northern Gaza early Sunday morning. Hospital officials said that all three were civilians. Palestinian witnesses said that an IAF missile struck a trailer near the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya. Hospital officials identified the three dead men asZaher al Aaer, 40, his 18-year-old son, Youssef, and a neighbor,Mohammed Abu Herbet, 23. Another Palestinian was killed by IDF troops later in the day during a ground incursion into the coastal territory. The identity of the fourth casualty was not immediately clear. An IDF spokesman confirmed both attacks, saying that in the first an air craft had fired at three men who had just launched rockets into southern Israel. He said the second had targeted from the ground a militant preparing to launch a rocket. The spokesman said Palestinian militants have launched more than 1,000 rockets at Israel in the past four months. The attacks came shortly after militants in the Gaza Strip launched three Qassam rockets at the western Negev earlier Sunday. There were no casualties or damages reported. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the three rocket attacks. Two more rockets fired later Sunday landed in the western Negev town of Sderot. The first hit an electrical pole, causing a power outage in the town. The second landed in the backyard of a home, causing damages to a nearby structure. One woman was treated for shock. On Saturday, an IAF air strike killed a Hamas operative near Rafah, on the Gaza-Egypt border. The dead man was identified as Mohammed Siyam, 34. Two other Hamas operatives who were in the car with him when the missile hit were wounded. According to the IDF, the strike was in response to a barrage of some 15 mortar shells on southern Israel on Friday. Three of the shells hit Moshav Netiv Ha'asara, but caused no casualties. Separately, an explosion ripped through a training camp of Hamas militants in central Gaza. The IDF, which acknowledges its activities against militant groups, denied involvement, raising the possibility that explosives were mishandled. Palestinian medical officials said two people were wounded. The IDF said it was looking into the report. Sunday's tensions arose as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is visiting the region, began meetings with Israeli officials and Palestinian leaders from Fatah, Hamas's rival faction, to discuss a peace conference planned for later this year in Annapolis, Maryland.

Israel strikes Gaza Strip, kills 4 Palestinians

Three Palestinians were killed when an Israel Air Force aircraft opened fire on them in northern Gaza early Sunday morning. Hospital officials said that all three were civilians.

Palestinian witnesses said that an IAF missile struck a trailer near the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya. Hospital officials identified the three dead men asZaher al Aaer, 40, his 18-year-old son, Youssef, and a neighbor,Mohammed Abu Herbet, 23.

Another Palestinian was killed by IDF troops later in the day during a ground incursion into the coastal territory. The identity of the fourth casualty was not immediately clear.

An IDF spokesman confirmed both attacks, saying that in the first an air craft had fired at three men who had just launched rockets into southern Israel.

He said the second had targeted from the ground a militant preparing to launch a rocket. The spokesman said Palestinian militants have launched more than 1,000 rockets at Israel in the past four months.

The attacks came shortly after militants in the Gaza Strip launched three Qassam rockets at the western Negev earlier Sunday. There were no casualties or damages reported. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the three rocket attacks.

Two more rockets fired later Sunday landed in the western Negev town of Sderot. The first hit an electrical pole, causing a power outage in the town. The second landed in the backyard of a home, causing damages to a nearby structure. One woman was treated for shock.

On Saturday, an IAF air strike killed a Hamas operative near Rafah, on the Gaza-Egypt border. The dead man was identified as Mohammed Siyam, 34. Two other Hamas operatives who were in the car with him when the missile hit were wounded.

According to the IDF, the strike was in response to a barrage of some 15 mortar shells on southern Israel on Friday. Three of the shells hit Moshav Netiv Ha'asara, but caused no casualties.

Separately, an explosion ripped through a training camp of Hamas militants in central Gaza. The IDF, which acknowledges its activities against militant groups, denied involvement, raising the possibility that explosives were mishandled.

Palestinian medical officials said two people were wounded. The IDF said it was looking into the report.

Sunday's tensions arose as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is visiting the region, began meetings with Israeli officials and Palestinian leaders from Fatah, Hamas's rival faction, to discuss a peace conference planned for later this year in Annapolis, Maryland.