Palestinian militants fire more rockets, as Israeli air strikes hit Gaza despite cease-fire efforts
ABCHopes of a truce between Israel and Palestinian militants after four days of fighting have been dashed after a series of Israeli air strikes on Gaza killed a sixth senior member of Islamic Jihad. Key points: Islamic Jihad confirmed that an air strike killed Iyad Al-Hassani, a member of the decision-making council in the group's armed wing The fighting this week has killed at least 33 Palestinians and an 80-year-old woman in central Israel Israeli strikes have hit at least 215 targets in Gaza Israeli strikes have killed five senior Islamic Jihad figures in the last few days with the militant group retaliating with nearly 900 rockets fired toward densely populated parts of Israel, further escalating the most violent flare-up in months despite efforts to broker a cease-fire. The fighting, which started on Tuesday, between Israel and Islamic Jihad — the second-largest militant group in Gaza after the territory's Hamas rulers — has killed at least 33 Palestinians in the strip, including women and children, and an 80-year-old woman in central Israel, identified in Israeli media as Inga Avramian. This week's battles began when Israel launched simultaneous air strikes that killed three Islamic Jihad commanders along with some of their wives and children as they slept in their homes.