Israel strikes Gaza amid tensions following arrest of Palestinian militant

Palestinian officials say seven dead after Israel said it was preparing to remove the threat from this region'

Israeli warplanes struck numerous sites in the Gaza Strip on Friday in what Israel said was a preemptive strike against Palestinian factions allegedly planning rocket strikes at targets in Israel.

Palestinian health officials reported that up to 10 people died in an initial barrage which killed the commander of Islamic Jihad, Tayseer Jabari, in the north of Gaza. Among the fatalities was an eight-year-old girl.