Hamas rockets barrage after Israeli forces kill 6

HAMAS militants pounded southern Israel with a barrage of rockets yesterday, hours after Israeli forces killed six gunmen in a fresh bout of violence that threatened to unravel a five-month-old truce that has brought relief to both Gaza and southern Israel.

The clashes began late on Tuesday after the Israeli forces burst into Gaza to destroy what the army said was a tunnel being dug near the border to abduct Israeli troops.

Despite the outbreak of violence, both Israeli authorities and officials with Gaza’s Hamas government said they wanted to restore the calm that has largely prevailed over the past five months.

After the Israeli incursion, Hamas gunmen battled Israeli forces.

Gaza residents reported the sound of explosions and gunshots, as well as helicopter fire.

One Hamas fighter was killed, prompting a wave of mortar fire at nearby Israeli targets.

An Israeli airstrike then killed five Hamas militants preparing to fire mortar shells.

Hamas responded with the barrage of rockets.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the rockets were in “response to Israel’s massive breach of the truce”.

The Israeli military said 35 rockets were fired, including one that reached the coastal city of Ashkelon, about 16km north of Gaza — underscoring the militants’ growing ability to strike deeper into Israel.

Police said the rocket landed in an empty area and that there were no reports of injuries or property damage.

However, the army said four soldiers were wounded, two moderately, in the border fighting.

The violence was the worst since Israel and Hamas agreed to an Egyptian-mediated truce in June.