GAZA CITY, August 6(ABC): Israel pounded Gaza with air strikes Friday, killing more than 15 people, including a top militant, and triggering a barrage of retaliatory rocket fire from the territory.
Israel said it launched a pre-emptive strike against Islamic Jihad, killing a top commander of the Palestinian militant group it blames for a series of recent attacks inside Israel.
Islamic Jihad said the Israeli bombardment amounted to a “declaration of war”, hours before it unleashed what it said was an “initial response” of 100 rockets towards Israel.
There were no immediate reports of casualties inside Israel.
But in Gaza, a child was among those killed, according to the territory s health ministry, which is run by Islamist movement Hamas.
Hamas has fought four wars with Israel since seizing control of Gaza in 2007, most recently in May of last year. Islamic Jihad is a separate group, but aligned with Hamas.
The Israeli strikes were ongoing late Friday, targeting what the army described as militant targets across the territory it has blockaded since the Hamas takeover.
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said the strikes were a “precise counter-terror operation against an immediate threat”.