Israeli air strikes on Gaza hurt seven

Gaza, June 3 (Xinhua-ANI): Medical sources said Sunday that overnight Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip have wounded seven Palestinians.

The Israeli F16 jets carried out five raids in Gaza at dawn, but the casualties occurred in the last air strike, which targeted an open area near a house in the middle of the coastal enclave.

Four children were among the wounded, the sources said, adding that all the seven were in stable condition.

The other air strikes targeted open areas, a chicken farm in northern Gaza Strip and a timber warehouse.

The Israeli army said in a statement that the raids were directed at tunnels and weapons manufacturing facilities owned by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad movement.

The attacks were apparently in response to the death of an Israeli soldier during a clash with a Palestinian militant Friday. The militant infiltrated through the security fence separating Gaza and Israel and was killed during the clashes. (Xinhua-ANI)