Explosion in Gaza

A loud explosion rocked Gaza in the pre-dawn hours on Saturday (November 17), following an Israeli air strike on the coastal enclave, Reuters witnesses said.

They added a Hamas compound was hit. No casualties were reported.

The Israeli army spokesperson unit confirmed that the Air Force was bombing Gaza.

Israel began bombing Gaza on Wednesday (November 14) with an attack that killed a Hamas military chief. It says its campaign is in response to Hamas missiles fired on its territory. Hamas stepped up rocket attacks in response.

Officials in Gaza said 29 Palestinians - 13 militants and 16 civilians, among them eight children and a pregnant woman - had been killed in the enclave since Israel began its air strikes. Three Israeli civilians were killed by a rocket on Thursday.