Airstrikes and rocket attacks push Israel and militants into second day of fighting
Israeli fighter jets pounded targets in Gaza as Palestinian militants launched rocket attacks for the second day in a row on Saturday, bringing more than a
TEL AVIV — Israeli fighter jets pounded targets in Gaza as Palestinian militants launched rocket attacks for the second day in a row on Saturday, bringing more than a year of relative calm along the border to an explosive end.
The Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, said in a statement on Saturday that the airstrikes had killed two operatives from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group “who were about to fire mortars from the Gaza Strip toward Israeli territory.”
The statement added that the IDF “was continuing to strike terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip,” including a “military training complex and a weapons warehouse.”
Local media later broadcast images of huge clouds of smoke and debris appearing in the air as explosions rocked Gaza City.
People run for cover during Israeli aerial bombardment in Gaza City on Saturday.Anas Baba / AFP via Getty ImagesIn a separate statement, the IDF said that along with other Israeli security forces, it had apprehended 20 suspects on Saturday, 19 of whom it described as “Islamic Jihad terrorist operatives.”
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