Gaza Rockets Kill 3 Israelis in Escalating Violence

Rockets fired from Gaza killed three people in southern Israel on Thursday as part of a response to Israel’s killing of Hamas’ military chief the day before. Roughly 200 rockets were fired in all, three-quarters of which were destroyed by Israel’s missile defense system.

The dead were two women and a man who were in the top floor of a building in Kiryat Malachi, about 15 miles north of Gaza. Three others — a 4-year-old boy and two babies — were injured, according to Israel’s foreign ministry.

The building’s residents were warned by sirens about the attack, but did not have enough time to escape. Meanwhile, five Palestinians — three militants among them — were killed when Israel responded with missiles of its own Thursday.

— Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.

BBC:

The BBC’s Yolande Knell, who is at the scene of the rocket strike in Kiryat Malachi, says sirens continue to wail at regular intervals across southern towns, sending residents rushing for cover.

She says usually when rockets fired from Gaza are heading for a populated area interceptor missiles fired by Israel’s Iron Dome batteries can be seen, with loud booms heard overhead and vapour trails visible cross-crossing the sky.

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