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Israeli military says its war jet downed unmanned aircraft over Gaza Strip

An Israeli fighter jet downed "an unidentified aircraft" over the Gaza Strip, Israel's military said in a statement

Israeli jets launched airstrikes at militant site in Gaza after attack

Residents of the Gaza Strip said Israeli aircraft launched a series of airstrikes at militant sites in the coastal Palestinian territory early Monday. The airstrikes appear to be a response to the firing of a rocket by Palestinian militants toward southern Israel Saturday evening. Israeli air defences intercepted the rocket. The Israeli military said the airstrikes targeted an underground rocket manufacturing complex run by Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The Gaza-Israel frontier had been largely quiet in recent months, but there have been intermittent rocket fire and airstrikes influenced by soaring violence between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

Rocket intercepted in south Israel, airstrikes staged in Gaza: Military

Militants fired a rocket into Israel's south Wednesday, the army said, setting off sirens and raising already heightened tensions under the country's new ultranationalist government. Early Thursday, the Israeli military said it started attacking targets in the Gaza Strip in response to rockets. According to local media, Israeli fighter jets struck a militant site in the central Gaza Strip. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The rocket from the Gaza Strip was intercepted, according to the military. Israel usually responds to rocket fire with airstrikes, raising the possibility of further escalation. Local residents reported hearing explosions. Israel's rescue service said it received no reports of injuries except for a 50-year-old woman who slipped and fell while running to a shelter. The action in Israel's skies Wednesday comes after Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group has threatened Israel over the combative stance of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has

Huge crowds of Palestinians mark Fatah anniversary in Gaza City park

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians thronged a Gaza City park on Saturday to mark the 58th anniversary of the founding of the Fatah party, a rare show of popularity in the heartland of the militant Hamas group, Fatah's main rival. The crowds turned Katiba Park into a sea of yellow flags and pictures of Fatah founders and leaders, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his predecessor Yasser Arafat. Hamas, which took over Gaza after routing pro-Abbas forces in 2007, permitted Fatah to hold the rally. In several past occasions following the 2007 takeover, Hamas had blocked or restricted activities for Fatah. While polls indicate Fatah is not that popular, the huge turnout could be seen as a rare opportunity to protest Hamas' heavy-handed rule in Gaza. The Islamic group has exhausted Gazans with heavy taxes amid record levels of unemployment and poverty. The 2.3 million residents live under a crippling Israeli-Egyptian blockade that Israel says is necessary to stop Hamas .

Official claims deadly Gaza house fire caused by party stunt

Investigators said Sunday that last week's massive apartment fire in the Gaza Strip was ignited accidentally by a man using gasoline in a party trick, but did not explain how they reached that conclusion. The blaze killed 22 members of the same family and there were no survivors who could have described the events. The fire had erupted Thursday in the third-floor apartment of the Abu Raya family home in the crowded Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza. Officials initially said 21 people were killed. Gaza attorney general Mohammed al-Nahal said Sunday the death toll reached 22, without elaborating. He told reporters that Nader Abu Raya invited his parents, siblings and their children to celebrate the return of his older brother from a trip abroad. With all the guests together at the family home, Nader began preparing in the living room what was suggested to be a party trick involving gasoline, al-Nahal said. The cause of the blaze was Nader using gasoline in a celebratory show w

Hamas supporters rally over Israeli raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque in Gaza

Hundreds of Palestinians rallied in Gaza City to protest against Israeli raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque

Palestinian farmer excavates rare ancient mosaic artwork treasure in Gaza

Last spring, a Palestinian farmer was planting a new olive tree when his shovel hit a hard object. He called his son, and for three months, the pair slowly excavated an ornate Byzantine-era mosaic that experts say is one of the greatest archaeological treasures ever found in Gaza. The discovery has set off excitement among archaeologists, and the territory's Hamas rulers are planning a major announcement in the coming days. But it is also drawing calls for better protection of Gaza's antiquities, a fragile collection of sites threatened by a lack of awareness and resources as well as the constant risk of conflict between Israel and local Palestinian militants. The mosaic was uncovered just a kilometer (half mile) from the Israeli border. The floor, boasting 17 iconographies of beasts and birds, is well-preserved and its colors are bright. These are the most beautiful mosaic floors discovered in Gaza, both in terms of the quality of the graphic representation and the complexity of t

Palestinians rally in western Gaza against Israel's 15-year blockade

They waved Palestinian flags and carried banners in both Arabic and English that read, "It is our right to travel freely and with dignity" and "Our gas is our right"

Gaza strike that killed 5 minors was carried out by Israel: Reports

An explosion in a cemetery that killed five Palestinian children during the latest flare-up in Gaza was caused by an Israeli airstrike, reports said

Hamas issues, then rescinds, sweeping rules on journalists covering Gaza

Palestinians who work with foreign journalists were ordered not to report on Gazans killed by misfired Palestinian rockets and were told to blame Israel for the recent escalation

Lack of fuel forces Gaza Strip's sole power plant to shut down: Officials

The sole power plant in the Gaza Strip has been knocked offline due to a lack of fuel, electricity officials said

Israel, militants trade fire as Gaza death toll climbs to 24, 203 injured

Israeli airstrikes flattened homes in Gaza and Palestinian rocket barrages into southern Israel persisted for a second day, raising fears of another major escalation in the Mideast conflict

Israel and Gaza militants exchange fire hours after deadly strikes

Israeli jets pounded militant targets in Gaza as rockets rained on southern Israel, hours after a wave of Israeli airstrikes on the coastal enclave killed at least 10 people

Over 70 rockets fired at Israel in 2 hrs, 9 fell in Gaza: Israeli Army

More than 70 rockets were fired at Israeli territory in two hours, 9 of which fell in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces said

Israeli strikes on Gaza kill 10, including senior militant; dozen wounded

Israel unleashed a wave of airstrikes in Gaza on Friday, killing at least 10 people, including a senior militant, and wounding dozens, according to Palestinian officials

Israel sends reinforcements to Gaza border amid possibility of attack

The Israeli military said Thursday it is sending additional forces to the area around the Gaza Strip as it braces for possible attacks after the arrest of a senior militant in the West Bank this week

Israel cancels expanded work permits for Gazans in response to rocket fire

The decision was announced by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Israel's military liaison to the Palestinians, on Saturday

Yair Lapid officially becomes PM of Israel; says, 'we'll do the best'

Lapid's term could be the short one as he take over the caretaker government ahead of Israel's election which was scheduled to take place on November 1

India expresses concern over developments in West Bank, Jerusalem & Gaza

India has expressed deep concern over developments in the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza, underscoring the importance of the international community and the UNSC sending a "strong signal"