Israel Strikes Hamas, Islamic Jihad in Gaza in Response to Rocket Fire

Israeli fighter jets carried out a series of airstrikes Thursday morning on facilities belonging to armed groups in the Gaza Strip. The airstrikes were in response to two rockets fired from the coastal enclave on Wednesday night, an Israeli military spokesman said. The strikes targeted posts and facilities that belong to Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Palestinian medical sources say no injuries were reported during the strikes. In response to the Israeli airstrikes, armed groups in the Hamas-ruled strip fired at least eight rockets at southern Israeli communities and anti-aircraft missiles were fired at Israeli fighter jets. Tensions between Israel and the Palestinians have flared since early January, with around 35 Palestinians killed and dozens injured by Israeli soldiers, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Seven Israelis were killed while leaving a synagogue in Jerusalem last week. Palestinian sources said the rocket attacks were in response to the “harsh treatment” of Palestinian women imprisoned in Israeli jails.