New Israeli Air Strikes Kill Four Palestinians

At least four people were reported killed in Israeli air strikes near Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip on March 12.

Those killed included two members of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad and two civilians.

A schoolboy was also reported killed in an explosion, but the circumstances of his death were unclear.

Israel said its air strikes targeted a "weapons storage facility" and rocket-launching sites in Gaza.

More than 20 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air strikes since March 9, with more than 60 others injured.

Israel says more that 240 rockets have been fired from Gaza toward Israel, seriously wounding two Israelis.

The United States condemned the rocket attacks as "cowardly," while the Arab League called the Israeli air strikes "a massacre."

The United Nations, European Union, and China have appealed for calm.

With AFP, dpa, and Reuters reporting