Israeli forces continue targeting Gaza

Israeli warplanes, on Friday, launched a series of raids on separate areas of the Gaza Strip, while the Palestinian armed factions fired a missile towards the Jerusalem region, Anadolu News Agency reports.

Israeli warplanes bombed agricultural lands and sites belonging to the Palestinian factions in the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, according to an Anadolu reporter.

The planes targeted agricultural lands in the north of the Strip and east of Gaza City, eyewitnesses told Anadolu.

The Palestinian armed factions, in return, for the first time since the outbreak of the current fighting, fired a missile toward the Jerusalem area.

“The bombing of Jerusalem is a message. Everyone should understand its purpose,” the Islamic Jihad Movement said in a statement.

“What is happening in Jerusalem is not isolated from the events in Gaza,” the Movement added.

“Sirens are sounding in the area surrounding Jerusalem,” the Israeli army said in a statement.

READ: Hamas: Palestinian resistance ‘unified’ in repelling Israeli aggression

“This is the first time since the start of the Israeli operation in Gaza that warning sirens have been sounded in the Jerusalem area,” the official Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported.

The sirens were sounded in the town of Beit Shemesh on the outskirts of West Jerusalem, according to the same source.

Palestinian rockets were fired at the Gush Etzion settlement, south of Jerusalem, according to the daily, Haaretz.

Fighting between Israel and Palestinian factions continued for the fourth day in a row on Friday, bringing the total death toll from airstrikes to 31, including six children and three women.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 93 others, including 32 children and 17 women, have been injured during the last four days of Israeli forces air attacks.

Regional and international powers have urged an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Palestine, but have been unsuccessful thus far.

The Israeli army has said the airstrikes are part of its Operation Shield and Arrow, an offensive launched after rockets were fired from Gaza following the death of a Palestinian inmate who was on a hunger strike in an Israeli prison.

According to Palestinian figures, more than 160 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of this year. At least 20 Israelis have also been killed in separate attacks during the same period.

READ: Israeli security official: We will use Khader Adnan’s body to recover our prisoners from Gaza