Gaza raids draw Abbas call for Israel to halt ?escalation'

(MENAFN-Arab News) gaza city: israel pounded nearly 30 targets in gaza overnight after militants fired scores of rockets into the south, prompting palestinian leader mahmoud abbas to demand thursday that it halt its ?escalation.

The rocket barrage, which was the heaviest since an eight-day conflict between israel and gaza's hamas rulers in november 2012, sent thousands of israelis fleeing for cover across the south on wednesday afternoon

So far, there have been no reports of casualties on either side of the border.

Defense minister moshe yaalon blamed both islamic jihad and hamas for the escalation and said anyone firing at israel would be responsible for his own fate

?hamas is responsible for the strip and if it does not know how to prevent fire on israel from its territory, we will act against it and all of its broader interests,? he said.