Israeli strikes kill at least one Palestinian in Gaza

GAZA — Israeli warplanes struck the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, killing at least one Palestinian, according to the Palestinian health ministry, after the first rocket fire from the Palestinian territory in weeks allegedly hit an Israeli city.

Gaza’s rulers Hamas disavowed the rocket fire, saying they rejected “all irresponsible attempts” to undermine Egyptian efforts to broker a new long-term truce.

But Israel, which holds Hamas responsible for all rocket fire from the territory regardless of who launches it, struck 20 targets in Gaza, the ministry confirmed.

Israel also closed both its border crossings with Gaza in reprisal, further isolating the blockaded enclave where deteriorating living conditions have stoked protests along the border.

Two rockets were fired before dawn, allegedly from Gaza, one of which caused major damage to a family home in the southern city of Beersheba, 40 kilometres away, Israeli authorities claim.

The other rocket came down in the sea off Tel Aviv, 70 kilometres from Gaza.

Speaking after meeting with Israeli security officials on Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged a forceful response.

“Israel views with utmost gravity the attacks against it on the fence, on the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip, on Beersheba — everywhere,” he said, referencing months of often violent protests in Gaza.

“If the attacks don’t stop, we’ll stop them. I want to tell you today — Israel will take very strong action.”

Full responsibility

Hamas and allied militant group Islamic Jihad condemned the latest rocket fire as “irresponsible”.

But Israeli spokesman Jonathan Conricus rejected the disavowal, saying Hamas bore “full responsibility” as Gaza’s de facto ruler.

Retaliatory strikes had hit 20 targets, including a Hamas attack tunnel and an “advanced weapons manufacturing site”, he said.

They killed one Palestinian in northern Gaza who the army said was set to launch a rocket.

At least three other Palestinians were wounded in the strikes, the Gaza health ministry said.

Defence official Avigdor Lieberman ordered the closure of both of Israel’s border crossings with Gaza in reprisal, making the heavily restricted Rafah crossing with Egypt the enclave’s sole gateway to the outside world.

Lieberman also ordered the reduction of the permitted fishing zone off the Gaza coast to 4.8 kilometres from 9, the occupation authorities said.

Lieberman already suspended deliveries of fuel that had been trucked daily into Gaza under a deal brokered by the United Nations.

It had seen thousands of litres of fuel paid for by Qatar delivered to generate desperately needed power in the impoverished territory.

Dangerous escalation

Israel has launched three onslaughts on Gaza, targeting both civilian Palestinians and Hamas fighters, since 2008. 

Fears of a fourth have spurred efforts by Egypt and the United Nations for a wider deal that would see the blockade eased in exchange for a long-term truce with Hamas.

UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov called the latest rocket launches a “dangerous escalation”.

Meanwhile, the UN says Israel’s 11-year blockade has resulted in a “catastrophic” humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Its 2 million residents endure routine power cuts and a chronic shortage of safe drinking water, and more than two-thirds are dependent on international aid.

The latest flare-up comes after months of Palestinian protests along the Gaza border that have drawn a deadly response from Israeli troops.

The protesters have been demanding an end to Israel’s blockade and the right of return to land now inside Israel, from which their families were expelled or fled during the 1948 war that accompanied its creation.

At least 207 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the protests began on March 30.