Israel bombed Hamas targets in Gaza early Friday as security forces loyal to Fatah accused the Islamist group of plotting to assassinate Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.
Israeli airstrikes -- targeting Hamas in retaliation for dozens of Qassam rockets fired from Gaza into Israel in the past four days -- killed at least six Palestinians on Thursday, Palestinian security sources said.
Israel bombed Hamas targets in Gaza on Thursday as warring Palestinian factions clashed again, shattering the latest truce aimed at ending deadly violence that has raised the spectre of all-out civil war.
The United States praised Israel on Thursday for showing "great restraint" in the face of new rocket attacks from the Palestinian group Hamas but said the Jewish state had the right to defend itself.
Fed up with increasing rocket launches at the border town of Sderot, Israel launched air strikes against Palestinians in Gaza City and Rafah. The infighting between Hamas and Fatah continued, too, bringing Gaza City to a standstill.
The air strike, the second in two days, carried through a threat by the Israelis to retaliate for rocket attacks on Israel fired by Palestinian militants in Gaza.
Israel bombed a Hamas headquarters in the heart of Gaza City on Thursday as rival Palestinian factions clashed again in the unruly territory wracked by days of deadly internecine bloodshed.
Israel Thursday launched airstrikes on Hamas militants and sent tanks into the northern tip of the Gaza Strip following continuous rocket attacks on its town of Sderot and neighboring communities.
At least one Palestinian was killed in a clash between Hamas and Fatah gunmen in the Gaza Strip on Thursday despite a ceasefire deal, and Israel threatened to step up attacks on militants firing rockets across the border.
Fighting between rival Palestinian factions in Gaza abated on Thursday after a new ceasefire deal but Israel threatened to step up attacks on militants firing rockets across the border.