Israel-Gaza violence erupts after covert op killingsBBC, Nov 12, 2018
Violence has flared between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza, a day after seven militants and an Israeli soldier were killed during an undercover Israeli operation in Gaza.
Militants fired 300 rockets and mortars at Israel. One hit an empty bus, seriously injuring a soldier nearby. Israel responded with strikes on what it said were military targets belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Three Palestinians, two of them reportedly militants, were killed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier cut short his visit to Paris for events to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One and returned to Israel to consult with his security chiefs.
What happened on Sunday?A Hamas commander and an Israeli soldier were among the dead on Sunday.
Palestinians said an Israeli unit travelling in a civilian vehicle had killed the Hamas commander.
According to Palestinian sources, the Israeli unit was about 3km (2 miles) inside the Gaza Strip, which borders Israel, when militants from Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, stopped the car.
The group's military wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said the Israelis opened fire, killing a local commander, Nur Barakeh.
The incident is reported to have happened east of Khan Younis, in the south of the territory.
A gun battle erupted and Israeli tanks and aircraft opened fire in the area, witnesses said.
Six of the Palestinians killed belonged to Hamas and the seventh was a member of the militant Popular Resistance Committees, AFP news agency cited Palestinian officials as saying.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said a member of the special unit involved was killed and another was lightly wounded. Due to the secrecy of the operation, Israel has not revealed specific details about the mission. The IDF said, however, that the operation was "not intended to kill or abduct terrorists, but to strengthen Israeli security".
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