In response to rockets fired toward southern Israel on Sunday evening, the Israel military said early Monday that it struck Palestinian militants targets in Gaza and Syria.
The Syrian state news agency SANA quoted a military source as saying Israeli aircraft entered Syrian airspace and targeted areas around Damascus with a wave of guided missiles.
Syrian television aired footage of what it said were explosions in the Damascus night sky showing Syria’s air defense system shooting down missiles.
Islamic Jihad said in a statement that the airstrikes on Damascus killed two of its members, identifying them as Salim Salim, 24, and Ziad Mansour, 23.
In addition, the Gaza health ministry reported that four Palestinians were treated at the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City for wounds caused by the Israeli strikes on Sunday evening.
The strike followed rockets fired toward southern Israel on Sunday evening that came hours after Israel killed a Palestinian militant who tried to place a bomb along the Israel-Gaza barrier fence.
Amateur video on Palestinian social media showed an Israeli bulldozer crossing into Gaza and then lifting up his body.
Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, accused the Israeli military of abusing the dead body, saying that it “bears the consequences of the ugly crime.”
The military said it was removing the body in a way that prevented further danger to those around.
But the images generated widespread anger in Gaza, where it was seen as a provocation and violation of Islamic principles that call for respect for the dead.
The Palestinians were furious over the image of the man’s lifeless body dangling off the front of an Israeli bulldozer that crossed into Gaza to retrieve it.
There was also criticism in Gaza of the territory’s Hamas rulers for not responding.
The incident comes amid a relative lull along the security fence separating Israel from Gaza. The killing of a top Palestinian commander by Isreali military last November sparked more heavy rounds of fighting between Isreal and Palestine.
Since then, Israel and Hamas group have been working through Egyptian mediators to cement an informal cease-fire. But Islamic Jihad has continued to try to carry out attacks.
