Gaza  – Israeli warplanes struck several targets Tuesday night in the Gaza Strip, wounding five people and severely damaging several buildings, medics and witnesses said.

The Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday night on the came shortly after Israeli Radio reported that two homemade rockets were fired earlier on Tuesday evening at the southern Israeli town of Sderout. No damages or casualties were reported.

Witnesses said that Israeli jets fired one missile into a car on Yafa Street in northern Gaza City, destroying the vehicle. Medical teams arrived at the scene and took several casualties to Gaza’s Shifa Hospital.

Hamas security sources said that Israeli air-to-ground missiles struck a building used as a metal workshop, which was destroyed in a huge explosion was heard across the area. No casualties were reported.

The sources said that Israeli warplanes targeted another metal workshop Tuesday night in the central Gaza Strip. Severe damage was reported to the building but no injuries.

Witnesses reported a fourth airstrike south of Gaza City, where Israeli aircraft targeted another car, which was destroyed. Palestinian ambulance crews drive casualties from the airstrike to a local hospital.

The four airstrikes followed three earlier Israeli airstrikes on border areas between the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah and Egypt. The airstrikes targeted tunnels used for smuggling into Gaza.

Gaza emergency chief Mo’aweya Hassanein said that at least five Palestinians were wounded in the series of Israeli airstrikes on targets across the Gaza Strip.

During the 22-day Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip that ended in January 18, Israel said it had destroyed 60 per cent of the tunnels dug by Palestinians under the border between Gaza and Egypt.

The Palestinians dug thousands of tunnels after Israel tightened its blockade on the enclave and prevented products from entering through crossings between Israel and Gaza. The tunnels are used for smuggling goods, food, medicine and fuels.

But Israel said that Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, and other militant groups are using the tunnels to smuggle weapons from Egypt into the Gaza Strip and for carrying out attacks against Israel. (dpa)