IDF: Hamas escalating attacks against Israel, but not interested in full-scale war

[oberliner]

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi ordered the air force to strike eight Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip overnight Tuesday, in light of the militant group's increased offensives against Israeli troops and civilians along the border over the last two weeks.

The multiple-target operation was the first of its kind in month, and came on the surface in response to a barrage of rockets fired at the western Negev over the last few days. Another rocket fired from Gaza struck near a kindergarten in Ashkelon just hours after the IDF attack, lightly wounding an Israeli girl on her way to school.

he IDF's targets included four Hamas-run smuggling tunnels near the border with Egypt, as well as arms depots and militant bases. Ashkenazi told reporters that troops identified hitting at least three gunmen from the Hamas' military wing over the course of the operation.

The IDF has discerned increased Hamas military activity over the last two weeks, particularly against troops stationed near the security fence and civilian communities in the Gaza envelope.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/idf-hamas-escalating-attacks-against-israel-but-not-interested-in-full-scale-war-1.331814