Israel has carried out a series of targeted airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, killing three commanders of the Islamic Jihad militant group and at least 10 civilians, according to Palestinian officials.
The strikes have only added to the tension in the area, with exchanges of fire across the Gaza border having intensified recently, particularly following the death last week of an Islamic Jihad leader on hunger strike in Israeli custody. Expecting return rocket fire, Israel closed roads in Israeli towns near Gaza, instructed residents there to keep close to bomb shelters, and said it was calling up some military reservists.
