Eight Gazans killed by IDF fire; Katyusha hits north Ashkelon

A Katyusha rocket fired by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip on Thursday morning struck an open field in northern Ashkelon, the furthest distance a rocket has struck yet - traveling some 16.5 kilometers.

Also Thursday, at least eight Palestinians were killed by Israel Defense Forces fire in several separate incidents in the Gaza Strip, including at least four militants.

The rocket that struck Ashkelon was identified as a Grad-type Katyusha, 122 milimeters in diameter. Militants acquired the rocket from Iran and have used the type before in attacks on Israel.

In response, Israel Air Force warplanes struck a series of targets associated with terrorist activity in the Gaza Strip on Thursday.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/941389.html

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli warplanes on Thursday attacked three targets in Gaza, including the home of a top Islamic Jihad militant who was killed last week, Palestinian officials said.

Israel Defense Forces confirmed that the country's air force had carried out the strikes. Neither the IDF nor Islamic Jihad officials had any word on whether anyone was killed.

The damaged home was located south of Gaza City and belonged to senior Islamic Jihad militant Muhammad Abdullah, sources inside the group said.

Abdullah, 43, was killed last week in an airstrike. At the time, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said Adbullah was a senior leader of the Islamic Jihad in central Gaza and was in charge of manufacturing weapons, in particular rockets and mortar shells.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/01/03/gaza.unrest/?iref=mpstoryview