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Last update - 22:47 05/03/2009
Rocket hits synagogue in Netivot; IAF bombs Gaza tunnels
By Avi Issacharoff, Anshel Pfeffer and Yanir Yagna, Haaretz Correspondents and Agencies
Tags: Islamic Jihad, IDF 

Palestinian militants on Thursday evening fired a Grad rocket that struck a synagogue in the southern town of Netivot, causing light damage to the building. The Israel Air Force retaliated shortly after the attack, striking four smuggling tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip, the army said.

No one was wounded in the rocket attack on Netivot.

Earlier Thursday, an Israel Air Force strike on the Gaza Strip killed three members of the militant Islamic Jihad, according to medical sources.
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In a statement issued after the strike on the tunnels, the Israel Defense Forces said: "As the sole authority in the Gaza Strip, Hamas bears full responsibility for all terror originating within its area of control. The IDF will continue to respond to any attempts to destabilize Israel's South."

Palestinian militants also launched a barrage of Qassam rockets and mortar rounds into Israel on Thursday.

They fired six Qassams from the Hamas-controlled territory into the western Negev; all struck open areas, and caused no damages or injuries. Two mortar shells struck near the Nahal Oz region, also causing no casualties.

On Wednesday night, an IAF missile attack killed a senior Islamic Jihad militant in northern Gaza and critically wounded another, Palestinian security and health officials said.

Islamic Jihad vowed revenge in the wake of the air strikes.

The IDF said the Wednesday attack targeted senior Islamic Jihad member Khaled Shalan, who had been involved in firing rockets at the southern city of Ashkelon.

Islamic Jihad, a smaller faction than Hamas, said Shalan had overseen its rocket launches and other attacks on Israel from northern Gaza.

Wednesday's strike was the second time since the end of Operation Cast Lead that the IDF has conducted targeted killings against Palestinian militants.

Palestinian security officials said the two militants jumped out of their car when they heard the IAF jet approaching. The Israeli aircraft fired a missile at them, critically wounding them. Palestinian health ministry official Moaiya Hassanain said another five bystanders were wounded.

Israel launched a 22-day military offensive in the Gaza Strip in December and has generally responded to Palestinian rocket attacks since then with air strikes on suspected smuggling tunnels on the Gaza-Egypt frontier.

Wednesday's air strike could signal a resumption of targeted killings against militant leaders.

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  • Palestinian factions meet to discuss unity gov't
  • Q & A with Haaretz Intelligence and Security expert Yossi Melman
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      1.   Bang band and game over 21:04  |  Johnny 04/03/09
      2.   Target the bums!! 21:32  |  Chimo 04/03/09
      3.   were they taken to a gaza hospital? 22:42  |  vik 04/03/09
      4.   How convenient that was! 23:21  |  Silvienne 04/03/09
      5.   #2, Chimo and the "bums" ! 23:23  |  Silvienne 04/03/09
      6.   Hey, Yoni! Make a short animation about that 23:26  |  Boris 04/03/09
      7.   outrage 00:25  |  Leon Rosgarten 05/03/09
      8.   Martyr 00:37  |  Allan 05/03/09
      9.   To, Silviene 00:37  |  Andy 05/03/09
      10.   Hey Silvienne 00:40  |  Daniel 05/03/09
      11.   #4 Silvienne 01:21  |  Zach 05/03/09
      12.   KILLED ONE? WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER 99,999???? 01:28  |  Hal Desmond 05/03/09
      13.   Gaza War failed 01:33  |  binny 05/03/09
      14.   Silvienne 01:34  |  Stephen in New York 05/03/09
      15.   Serious question to Silvienne: Why 01:41  |  Alon Chiloni 05/03/09
      16.   Hi Silvienne 01:51  |  Dan Ravid 05/03/09
      17.   Silvienne 01:55  |  vik 05/03/09
      18.   @7, bravo leon!!!!!! 03:17  |  vladimir 05/03/09
      19.   binny # 13 We`ll Take The "Failure" 04:08  |  Jeff Northridge 05/03/09
      20.   Keeping score in times of war 05:42  |  Mark Lincoln 05/03/09
      21.   Transfer No money till Shalit Freed , 06:44  |  Joseph.E 05/03/09
      22.   Not Game-Changing 08:06  |  Woodah 05/03/09
      23.   Master terrorists dead save valuable life, kol ha-kavod 10:29  |  Harvey 05/03/09
      24.   Unreliable figures, Silvienne, recall Jenin 2002 11:06  |  Sceptic 05/03/09
      25.   Avi if you call them militants be consistent 11:09  |  Rami 05/03/09
      26.   response to Leon #7 15:55  |  Elliott 05/03/09
      27.   #4 Silvienne 16:02  |  *BEN JABO 05/03/09
      28.   #5 Silvienne 16:09  |  *BEN JABO 05/03/09
      29.   binny @#13 "failed"?,...the Gaza war isn`t over. 16:57  |  Akiva P 05/03/09
      30.   Hillary, we are definitely getting closer to a peace agreement. 17:15  |  ottomatik 05/03/09
      31.   To my 8 responding posters... 17:19  |  Silvienne 05/03/09
      32.   #27, Ben Jabo... 17:43  |  Silvienne 05/03/09
      33.   #4 silvienne - please learn to read 19:25  |  Adrian de Klerk 05/03/09
      34.   #27, Ben Jabo...Exactly so!! 19:26  |  Silvienne 05/03/09
      35.   #24, Sceptic...well, if you`re going to mention Jenin.. 19:36  |  Silvienne 05/03/09
      36.   #14, Stephen in New York... 19:58  |  Silvienne 05/03/09
      37.   Hey everyone here...let the IDF Rip and Demolish The lot 20:51  |  KATHY 05/03/09
      38.   #33, Adrian de Klerk..how about comprehending? 20:56  |  Silvienne 05/03/09
      39.   #33 WHY BOTHER??? 21:29  |  Josh 05/03/09
      40.   Our "illustrious warrior" PM, DM declared Gaza goals achieved? 22:35  |  curious & waiting 05/03/09
      41.   Jeff Northridge: U.S. Won the Tet Offensive As Well 22:58  |  Binyamin 05/03/09
      42.   Plutocratic demagoguery parding as democrcy 23:12  |  Akiva P 05/03/09
      43.   Silvienne makes these outrageous statements... 23:12  |  Malone 05/03/09
      44.   #7.L.Rosgarten, the last trotzkist in the world. What are you ... 23:23  |  Vittorio 05/03/09
      45.   To My 8 Responder...Who Counts when mathematically The person 23:25  |  Just Me 05/03/09
      46.   Gazan Rocketeers Club 23:40  |  Le Corbeau 05/03/09
      47.   #26 Elliot 23:44  |  Yonatan 05/03/09
      48.   Synagogue slightly damaged.... 00:05  |  Palestinian Brit 06/03/09
      49.   Jeff - accept the facts. 00:09  |  Palestinian Brit 06/03/09
      50.   destory a mosque in gaza 00:12  |  vik 06/03/09
      51.   #43, Malone, yes, it was pretty outrageous... 00:25  |  Silvienne 06/03/09
      52.   #41, Binyamin....so you mean to say... 00:28  |  Silvienne 06/03/09
      53.   #37, Hey the one called Kathy..... 00:29  |  Silvienne 06/03/09
      54.   #39, Josh, insults do not a sensible post make... 00:35  |  Silvienne 06/03/09
      55.   Israel`s patience 00:42  |  Steve 06/03/09
      56.   To Palestinian Brit 02:00  |  Douglas Fireman 06/03/09
      57.   #55 Steve 02:13  |  Le Corbeau 06/03/09
      58.   To Silvienne (# 54). "Silly sod" 02:14  |  flyingdoc57 06/03/09
      59.   #50 vik 02:37  |  Le Corbeau 06/03/09
      60.   Palestinian Brit # 49 You Face The Facts 02:42  |  Jeff Northridge 06/03/09
      61.   What is the objective? 02:52  |  Mark Lincoln 06/03/09
      62.   #32 Silvienne - Innocent get killed along with guilty 20:34  |  *BEN JABO 06/03/09
      63.   #34 Silvienne - The only way the ducks won`t 20:44  |  *BEN JABO 06/03/09
      64.   #51 Silvienne to Malone 20:46  |  *BEN JABO 06/03/09
      65.   #54 Silvienne - You keep on giving the same #`s 20:48  |  *BEN JABO 06/03/09
      66.   #48 Palestinian Brat 20:55  |  *BEN JABO 06/03/09
      67.   More shocking and immoral violence against Palestinians 21:48  |  Dutch 06/03/09
      68.   #64, Ben Jabo... 05:28  |  Silvienne 08/03/09
      69.   #62, Ben Jabo...okay, but how about... 05:31  |  Silvienne 08/03/09
      70.   #63, Ben Jabo... 05:38  |  Silvienne 08/03/09
      71.   #68 Silvienne - Say what U mean, mean what U say 17:03  |  *BEN JABO 09/03/09
      72.   #69 Silvienne 17:05  |  *BEN JABO 09/03/09
      73.   #70 Silvienne - I hope you don`t have a 401K 17:14  |  *BEN JABO 09/03/09
      74.   #71, #72, Ben Jabo... 18:23  |  Silvienne 09/03/09
      75.   #73, Ben Jabo... 18:30  |  Silvienne 09/03/09
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