An Israeli air strike in Gaza City has caused heavy casualties Tuesday. Palestinian medics say nine people were killed, including two children. Israel says its aircraft attacked a van carrying Palestinian militants on the way to fire rockets into southern Israel. Witnesses say at least 20 people were wounded, and they report two of the dead were members of the group Islamic Jihad.
Two Israeli missiles - one of which hit the militants' van - caused the carnage. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced Israel's aerial attack as \"state terrorism,\" and called on the international community to act immediately \"to put an end to Israeli aggression.\"
In Jerusalem, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz says Israeli forces no longer feel any need to use restraint in their operations against Palestinian militants. Peretz said Israel will \"act with all [its] might\" against any hostile militant group.