GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — When fighting erupted between Israel and the hard-line Palestinian militant group, Islamic Jihad, here earlier this month, the battle lasted just three days but it took a heavy toll: Gaza's Health Ministry said 49 Palestinians were killed, including 17 children.
Israeli officials said they were targeting Islamic Jihad members for allegedly planning attacks on Israelis. Israel wound up killing militants and civilians. Islamic Jihad responded by firing about 1,000 rockets; Israel said some of the rockets killed Gazan civilians when the projectiles fell short and landed in Gaza.
People in Gaza say they believe the violence, and duration, would have been even worse had the larger, ruling militant group, Hamas, gotten involved. But in a change of tact, Hamas sat this one out.
