Report: Hamas kills 18 suspected informants for Israel

CNN photo



GAZA (CNN) -- Hamas executed 18 suspected informants for Israel in Gaza on Friday, the Hamas-run Al Aqsa TV reported.

This comes one day after an Israeli strike in the Gaza city of Rafah killed three senior leaders of the Qassam Brigades, the Hamas military wing.

Meanwhile Palestinian militants fired more rockets into Israel on Friday, and the Israeli Defense Forces kept up airstrikes on Gaza.

Ashraf el-Qedra, spokesman for the Ministry of Health in Gaza, said 2,087 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began in early July. That figure did not include the reported executions. The United Nations estimates that around 70% of the dead in the conflict were civilians.

The fighting has killed 67 people on the Israeli side, almost all of them soldiers.

El-Qedra said Friday that 72 Palestinians have been killed since the two sides resumed hostilities on Tuesday after the collapse of a ceasefire and talks aimed at finding a lasting end to the fighting.

The truce fell apart after Israel reported that militants had started firing rockets again.

Since the fighting flared up again this week, 360 rockets have been fired from Gaza toward Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces. They have caused some injuries but no deaths. Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system has intercepted 56 of the rockets, the IDF said.

The Israeli military has attacked around 200 targets in Gaza during the same period, the IDF said.

Hamas, the militant group that holds power in Gaza, has warned that Israel will "pay the price" for killing three high-ranking leaders of its military wing, the Qassam Brigades, on Thursday.

Seven civilians also were killed in the bombing of the house in southern Gaza where the leaders were located.

The IDF said the military leaders were responsible for "major terror attacks against Israelis."

The Qassam Brigades' threat this week to target Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv doesn't so far appear to have affected flights.


Talal Abu Rahma reported from Gaza, and Jethro Mullen reported and wrote from Hong Kong. CNN's Amir Tal contributed to this report.