Fifteen Palestinians were injured on Wednesday morning as Israeli F16 warplanes bombarded a training base belonging to Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip.
Palestinian medical sources confirmed that some of the victims sustained critical wounds, with media coordinator for Gaza medical services Adham Abu Selmiyya saying injured were evacuated to hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip. He explained that several houses close to the training base sustained material damage.
Locals told Ma'an that Israeli warplanes fired at least two missiles and that Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Mosque sustained serious damage.
Separately, Israeli fighter planes fired four missiles at Yasser Arafat National Airport east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
The recent escalation in Israel's response followed the firing of homemade projectiles and mortar shells toward Israeli towns on Tuesday.
A statement released by the Israeli army said that the airstrikes came in response to rocket fire from the coastal enclave, and targeted "terror tunnels" in the southern and northern Gaza Strip overnight.
"The tunnels were dug one kilometer from the security fence and were intended for infiltrating into Israel and executing terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF [Israeli army] soldiers. Direct hits were identified.The attack is in response to the firing of two mortar shells that hit the Ashkelon Shore Regional Council this afternoon."
The Israeli army said it "remains committed to protecting the citizens of Israel and will continue to act against terror. The IDF [Israeli army]holds Hamas solely responsible for terror emanating from the Gaza Strip," adding that four projectiles and mortars were fired from the Strip in the past week.
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