IDF Kills 3 Palestinians; Missiles Hit Ashkelon

Palestinian militants fired two Grad-type missiles at Ashkelon yesterday morning as Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh pledged for a cease-fire with Israel.

Four people were treated for shock at the Barzilai Medical Center in the city.

A spokesman for Islamic Jihad, Abu Ahmed, confirmed the militant group had fired rockets at the town.

In response, the Israel Air Force attacked rocket launch pads, killing three Palestinians near Beit Hanun, in the northern Gaza Strip.

The IDF said the aircraft fired at people moving the launcher used to fire at Ashkelon. Palestinians, however, said the fatalities were farmers.

Meanwhile, Palestinian gunmen ambushed a car carrying a Fox News crew in Gaza City yesterday, kidnapping two of the journalists inside, according to witnesses and Fox.

"We can confirm that two of our people were taken against their will in Gaza," Fox News said in a statement.

A Fox employee in Gaza said the two kidnapped people were reporter Steve Centanni, a U.S. citizen, and a cameraman from New Zealand.

Major militant groups in Gaza denied having any connection to the incident, and there was no immediate word of any demands made.

Security officials put police across Gaza on alert to find the gunmen and free the reporters, said Interior Ministry spokesman Khaled Abu Hilal. "This is not acceptable at all," he said.