Israeli Airstrikes Kill 13 in Gaza

Israeli airstrikes rained down on Gaza militants today, killing at least 13 in a series of separate attacks, Reuters reports. It was the country’s most intense offensive in months, a response to the frequent but largely ineffectual rocket attacks lobbed across the border. In response, militants threatened a round of suicide bombings, something Israel hasn’t seen in 11 months.

Most of the attacks targeted the Islamic Jihad faction, killing a senior commander, while another hit Hamas. “I can tell you that targeted killings have led to a drastic drop in terror attacks,” said Israel’s vice premier. Border residents, targets of some 2,000 rocket attacks, favor a ground offensive, but the government prefers these “surgical strikes.” (More Israel stories.)