Premier Kathy Dunderdale (at microphone) speaks to members of the media following the swearing-in of her cabinet Friday morning at Government House. — Photo by Keith Gosse/The Telegram

Smoke rises after IAF bombs in Gaza (Illustrative)
5 killed including munitions expert, top commander of Islamic Jihad terrorist organization; move comes in response to rockets launched from Gaza; settlers, Palestinians, leftists clash in West Bank.

Israeli forces attacked an Islamic Jihad camp in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing a commander of the Palestinian faction and four other militants, officials on both sides said.

The strike in Rafah, a town on Gaza's border with Egypt, followed a Palestinian rocket salvo on Thursday which landed deep in Israel but caused no casualties.

Islamic Jihad said an explosion in the training camp killed Ahmed al-Sheikh Khalil, a munitions expert and one of its top commanders, as well as four comrades. An Islamic Jihad source said the dead may include senior figures other than Khalil.

"Those targeted were a group of leaders," the source said.

Doctors said two Palestinians were also wounded in the incident, during which witnesses reported Israeli helicopters overhead.

In Jerusalem, an Israeli military spokesman confirmed there had been an attack but did not immediately elaborate.

Islamic Jihad, a sometime ally of Gaza's ruling Hamas, has chafed at recent efforts by the more powerful faction to impose de facto ceasefires with Israel.

In the West Bank on Saturday, one man was lightly injured when settlers clashed with Palestinians and left-wing activists in Beit Omer near Gush Etzion.

The IDF was called in to disperse the crowd.

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