UN's Ban Ki-moon strongly deplores heavy rocket barrage on Israel from Gaza

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Israeli army chief of staff rushes back from U.S.; Abbas urges end to 'Israeli military escalation.'

By Haaretz and Reuters | Mar. 13, 2014


Israel Air Force carried out strikes in the Gaza Strip Wednesday evening in response to at least 70 rockets fired at southern Israel. The Israeli military said that 29 targets throughout the Strip were hit by Israeli jets.

An Iron Dome anti-rocket defense system successfully intercepted three of the rockets, the Israel Defense Forces said, and area residents have been called to stay within protected areas. No injuries were reported on the Israeli side, besides a woman who was lightly hurt when she ran towards a safe zone

"The [UN] Secretary General strongly condemns the multiple rocket attacks today on Israel from Gaza, for which Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility," said a statement issued by Ban's spokesman. Ban "urges all actors to exercise maximum restraint to prevent further incidents that could bring greater escalation and destabilization in the region," it added.

On Tuesday, the IDF struck an Islamic Jihad cell in response to an attempted mortar shell attack on Israeli forces doing routine operations in the area. The Islamic Jihad, said the three killed in the attack were militant members of the group. The group claimed responsibility for Wednesday's rocket attack and called it "a response to the crimes of the occupation, the most recent of which was the assassination of three [Islamic Jihad] members."

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.579531