Israeli aircraft have struck Hamas sites in Gaza in an escalation of hostilities after earlier cross-border gunfire seriously injured an Israeli soldier and wounded 41 Palestinians, including two critically.
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The injuries came during a Gaza protest organised by the enclave's Islamist rulers Hamas and other factions in support of Jerusalem, where Palestinian clashes with Israeli police helped spark an 11-day Israel-Hamas conflict in May.
Hundreds of Palestinians gathered on Saturday near the strip's heavily fortified border, where some tried to scale the border fence and others threw explosives towards Israeli troops, the Israeli military said.
"IDF (Israeli military) troops responded with riot dispersal means, including when necessary live fire," it said.
Among the two Palestinians critically injured was a 13-year-old boy who was shot in the head, Gaza's health ministry said.
Cross-border fire from Gaza seriously wounded an Israeli border police soldier, the military said.
In response, the military said Israeli fighter jets on Saturday night struck "four weapons storage and manufacturing sites belonging to" Hamas.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
Bracing for more hostilities, the military said it had sent additional forces to the Gaza border area.
Australian Associated Press
