Ten wounded in overnight Israeli strikes on Gaza (Roundup)

Nov 22, 2009, 12:39 GMT

Jerusalem - At least 10 Palestinians were injured in three successive Israeli airstrikes overnight and early Sunday on the southern, central and northern Gaza Strip, medical officials and the Israeli military said.

They said the aircraft fired two air-to-ground missiles at the borderline area between southern Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula, completely destroying three tunnels used for smuggling.

Mo'aweya Hassanein, the head of the Gaza Strip emergency services, told reporters that at least five Palestinians were injured in this attack. Five Palestinians were wounded in the two other airstrikes, he said.

The second airstrike was carried out early on Sunday, when Israeli aircraft hit what Palestinians said was a goldsmith's shop, and the Israeli military said was a weapons-manufacturing facility, near al- Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip.

Palestinians also said the third strike targeted a metal workshop in northern Gaza City. A statement from the Israeli military said the facility manufactured weapons.

The three Israeli airstrikes came after militants launched two mortar shells, and one makeshift missile, at Israel on Saturday.

The launches conform to a sporadic pattern since Israel's fierce offensive against Gaza militants ended on January 18.

The militant groups have fired far few projectiles at Israel - close on 270 rockets and mortar shells - since the offensive ended, compared to the more than 3,300 fired in 2008.

The interior minister of the de-facto Hamas government in the coastal strip, Fathi Hamad, said Saturday that Gaza militant organizations had agreed top stop rocket fire at Israel. He added however that 'resistance would be allowed' in case of Israeli attacks.