Smoke billows following an Israeli air strike in Rafah in the southern of Gaza Strip, on August 19, 2014. Israel ordered its negotiators back from talks in Cairo and warplanes hit Gaza after Palestinian rockets hit Israel.
Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk charged on Wednesday after Gaza truce talks collapsed in a spasm of violence that Israel had targeted the group's armed wing leader Mohammed Deif in one of its air strikes on Tuesday in the coastal territory.
The Israeli military would not specify any of the targets of some 30 attacks across Gaza in response to rocket fire aimed at Israel. Marzouk said Israel had ruptured the truce alleging it was in order "to assassinate Mohammed Deif," but that civilians were killed at the site of the attack.
Palestinian health officials said three people were killed in a strike on a house in Gaza City, including a child and a woman. The third victim was not identified.
Israeli media said Israel had been targeting another leading Hamas militant in charge of rocket fire, but did not know whether or not he had survived the attack.
© Thomson Reuters 2014