Palestinians Fire Rockets From Gaza, Drawing Israeli Strikes

Palestinian militants fired more than 150 rockets from the Gaza Strip at neighboring Israeli towns overnight, triggering waves of Israeli airstrikes against Hamas military installations, as the sides alternated between talk of a cease-fire and warnings of all-out war.

Hamas officials said three Gazans were killed in the Israeli strikes, whose targets included an underwater tunnel militants dug to infiltrate Israel, and a factory for making tunneling equipment, according to the military. Israel’s Haaretz newspaper said 11 people were injured by the Hamas shelling of Sderot, a town close to the border.

Additional rockets were downed by Israel’s Iron Dome missile interception system and the rest fell in open areas, the army said.

The conflict in Gaza heated up Wednesday night after two Hamas operatives were killed by Israeli tank fire. Before the flareup, Hamas, which rules the 40-kilometer-long (25-mile) sliver of land was close to approving a truce agreement that could curtail four months of border confrontations. The group is considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the U.S. and European Union.

Israel’s Security Cabinet was to meet Thursday afternoon amid warnings that Israel was contemplating a larger operation in Gaza.

An unidentified senior Israeli military official told Army Radio that Israel was considering evacuating communities near the Gaza border. On Wednesday, the army had closed roads near the Gaza border and put residents on alert after it saw Hamas fighters evacuating forward positions near the border, a step Hamas often takes before mounting attacks likely to draw Israeli counterstrikes.

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