Gaza City, Gaza Strip – Israel pounded more Hamas targets with airstrikes, killing 10 people and wounding dozens as it stepped deeper into fighting between the Islamic militants and the rival Fatah fighters of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The latest attack came early this morning as Israeli aircraft fired missiles east of Gaza City, killing four Palestinians, at least three of them Hamas militants, and wounding six people, Hamas and Palestinian doctors said. There was no immediate Israeli comment. Two other strikes followed, but there was no word of any casualties, the doctors said.
The strikes, a series of Israeli attacks Thursday and the reported movement of a handful of tanks a few hundred yards into the northern Gaza Strip followed days of Hamas rocket barrages into Israel.
Street fighting between the Palestinian factions that has gripped Gaza since the weekend calmed under a truce agreement, but clashes still killed at least four people – a day after 22 died in the worst battles during a year of factional bloodshed.
There was no sign of any Israeli military buildup that would indicate plans for a serious intervention into chaotic Gaza, though a few tanks and soldiers moved just across the Gaza border.
Israel’s government said its attacks were intended solely to discourage rocket attacks on southern Israel.
Analysts said Israeli policymakers were likely trying to walk a narrow line to avoid uniting Palestinian factions into a common front against Israel.
Hamas mounted accusations on its websites, radio and TV that Abbas-linked forces were working with Israel.
