Israeli war jets strike Gaza in response to rocket attacks

Israeli warplanes struck two open lands Thursday afternoon in Gaza City and in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, hours after militants from the Palestinian enclave fired rockets into the Jewish country. Witnesses and Hamas security officials said that the Israeli war jets struck the two farm lands with air-to-ground missiles, while hospital officials in Gaza City said no injuries were reported. An Israeli army spokesperson said that the warplanes targeted rocket launchers used for firing rockets on Israel, adding that the airstrike was a response to earlier rocket attacks from Gaza on southern Israel. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks on southern Israel yet, but security sources in Gaza said that two Islamic Jihad militants were stopped by Hamas police for launching rockets on Israel. Thursday's exchange of attacks came as Hamas armed wing, al- Qassam Brigades, was marking the one year anniversary of Israel's operation cloud pillar against Gaza. Witnesses said that thousands of Hamas masked militants, wearing military uniform and carrying various kinds of weapons and rockets, paraded in Gaza City's main streets on the occasion.