Israel strikes on Gaza kill 13, including three Islamic Jihad leaders

GAZA CITY (AFP):Israeli air strikes on Gaza killed three Islamic Jihad group leaders early Tuesday and left 10 others dead, including several children, according to officials in the Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory.
Islamic Jihad vowed to “avenge” the deaths after the pre-dawn raid in which more than 40 Israeli jets hit targets for nearly two hours in the crowded coastal enclave from just after 2:00 am (Monday 2300 GMT).
The Gaza health ministry said four children were among those killed and 20 people were wounded, some of them in serious or critical condition, after the attacks which left buildings ablaze and reduced others to rubble.
Violence also flared later in the occupied West Bank when Israeli forces launched a raid in Nablus that left at least a dozen people suffering bullet wounds, according to Palestinian medics.
The Israeli army said that in its Gaza air strikes it had targeted three leaders of Islamic Jihad, which it considers a terrorist group, as well as its “weapon manufacturing sites”.
Israel “achieved what we wanted to achieve” in the operation, said army spokesman Richard Hecht. Asked about child casualties, he said: “If there were some tragic deaths, we’ll look into it.”
Islamic Jihad confirmed three of its senior members were killed in Gaza.