Israeli air strikes on Gaza kill 5, while rocket attacks on Israel continue (VIDEO)

GlobalPost

A series of Israeli air strikes on Gaza have killed at least five people in the past day.

Warplanes struck several times Wednesday and Thursday along Israel's border with Gaza. Among the casualties, two people were killed and 20 wounded in strikes on a social club in northern Gaza early Thursday. 

On Wednesday, two people said to be Islamic Jihad militants were killed in targeted attacks. 

During the same 24-hour period, Gaza militants fired 19 rockets and mortars into southern Israel, a military spokesman said. An infant suffered minor injuries from shrapnel.

More from GlobalPost in Jerusalem: Glenn Beck and Herman Cain share the stage in Israel

Twenty-two Palestinians have died in Israeli air strikes since last week, according to Palestinian medical sources. Meanwhile, more than 140 rockets and mortars have been fired into Israeli territory from Gaza, an Israel Defense Forces spokesman told CNN.

The attacks threaten an informal truce agreed to by Israel and Hamas on Sunday after days of escalating violence.

The mounting violence could also reignite the Israeli debate over whether the government should order a full-out military offensive against Gaza, the Financial Times says.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told CNN on Thursday that the strikes show "we mean business." Israel's military will continue to hit Palestinians suspected of attacking Israel, Barak said.

From GlobalPost's Casbah blog: Syrian sense of humor failure
 

Help keep The World going strong!

The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.

Make a gift today to help us reach our $25,000 goal and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer.