Israel ploughs up runways at Gaza Airport

The Israeli army has ploughed up runways at the Palestinian-controlled Gaza International Airport in the latest act of revenge for a Hamas attack on Israeli soldiers earlier this week.

Tanks and bulldozers entered the airport in the early hours of this morning.

The operation comes after Israel destroyed more than 30 homes in the Palestinian-controlled Rafah refugee camp yesterday, leaving hundreds of innocent residents homeless.

Israel claimed the houses were hideouts for Palestinian militants.

The Israeli army also arrested nine Palestinians during today's invasions into the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Israeli tanks severed the road link between the Rafah and Khan Younis refugee camps before entering Rafah and arresting eight people suspected of weapons smuggling.

Israeli soldiers also entered the West Bank village of Beit Iba and arrested a Palestinian activist whom Israel claimed is a member of the Hamas militant group, which claimed responsibility for an attack on Wednesday that left four Israeli soldiers dead.