Gaza Rocket Kills Three, Violence Escalates
The Israeli casualties are the first since Israel killed the top military commander of Hamas in Gaza Wednesday.
ALSO SEE: Israeli Airstrikes Kill Hamas Military Leader In Gaza
It has been reported that 15 Palestinians, mostly militants but also some children, have died in the ongoing Israeli operation. Roughly 200 rockets have been fired at Israel, 145 of which were destroyed by Israel's Iron Dome interceptor system, according to army officials.
Thursday's victims - two women and a man - died when a four-story building was hit in the town of Kiryat Malachi, about 15 miles north of Gaza.
From BBC:
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said that "Hamas bears principal responsibility for the current crisis", also urging all the sides involved to "avoid any action which risks civilian casualties or escalates the crisis".
Meanwhile, Egyptian President Mohammad Mursi condemned the air strikes, after recalling his ambassador from Israel. Dozens of anti-Israeli protesters held a rally in the capital Egypt.
Hamas' political leader Khaled Meshaal vowed to continue the "resistance" against Israel, Reuters news agency reported.
In a separate development, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reportedly cut short a trip to Switzerland and was returning to his base in the West Bank to deal with the growing crisis.
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