LEAD: Israeli jets strike Gaza, 1 killed, 4 wounded

Nov 14, 2011, 1:21 GMT

Gaza - A Palestinian naval police officer was killed and four other people were injured early Monday in an Israeli airstrike on a naval police post under Islamic Hamas rule in the northern Gaza Strip, medics and witnesses said.

Gaza emergency spokesman Adham Abu Selmeya told reporters that a Palestinian was killed and four others were injured. The casualties were taken to Shiffa hospital in Gaza City and one remained in critical conditions.

Several powerful explosions hit northern Gaza Strip before dawn, and witnesses said Israeli jets had struck two security posts under Islamic Hamas movement rule north of Gaza city. The witnesses said the powerful blasts woke up Gaza and northern Gaza Strip residents.

The Israeli aerial attacks were a response to an earlier homemade rocket attack on southern Israel, Hamas security officials in Gaza said. Israel has warned that it will harshly respond to any attack from Gaza on its territory.

Unknown militants fired a rocket from the Gaza Strip that hit the southern costal Israeli town of Ashkelon, no damages or injuries were reported, according to Israel Radio. No one has claimed responsibility for the rocket attack.

Read more about Gaza

Read more about Mideast Conflict