Israel warns Hamas after rocket fire

JERUSALEM – Israel’s prime minister issued a stern warning Sunday to Gaza’s Hamas rulers after a weekend of rocket attacks from the Palestinian territory on Israeli communities.

Benjamin Netanyahu told his Cabinet that Israel holds the Islamic militant group responsible for the rare flare-up in violence and would retaliate for any attack against its people.

“I see the Hamas as directly responsible for any attack that comes from the Gaza Strip toward the state of Israel, and the international community should see it this way as well,” Netanyahu said. “Israel reserves the right to defend its citizens, and we will continue to use all means to protect the people of Israel and the children of Israel.”

The attacks, including a rocket fired Friday at an Israeli city six miles from Gaza, caused damage but no injuries. No Palestinian group took responsibility.

Israel responded with a series of airstrikes on militant targets in Gaza, including one that killed a senior commander of the Hamas military wing.

Early today, a huge blast leveled the house of a Hamas commander in the Deir el-Balah refugee camp in southern Gaza, wounding at least 32 people, according to Palestinian security officials. They said the blast was the result of an Israeli airstrike, but Israel’s military denied that, saying there was no Israeli activity in the area.

The regional Hamas commander, Ala Adnaf, known as a bomb maker, was missing along with another person.