JERUSALEM: Israeli warplanes struck militant targets in the Gaza Strip early Thursday after Palestinian rockets hit the Israeli south for the second time in 10 days, sources on both sides said.
Palestinian security sources said the strikes targeted three training bases in Gaza City that were used by Hamas´s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, as well as a fourth in the southern city of Khan Yunis.
The raids came several hours after two rockets struck open areas in southern Israel, causing no injuries, in an attack claimed by a small extremist group called "Supporters of the Islamic State in Jerusalem" which recently emerged in Gaza.
It said the attack was to avenge the death of a radical Islamist in Gaza this week who was killed in clashes with the Hamas security forces.
The same group was behind another rocket attack on southern Israel on May 26, which also prompted a series of Israeli air strikes.
Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon acknowledged that the rockets were likely fired by radical jihadist factions but said Israel held Hamas ultimately responsible.
"Even if those behind the last night´s fire were rogue gangs allied with world jihad organisations who are looking to challenge Hamas by shooting at us, we see Hamas as responsible for what is happening in the Strip," he said.