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Israeli jets strike Gaza targets; Hamas minister arrested

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JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israel unleashed a new round of airstrikes on Gaza and arrested a second Hamas member of the Palestinian unity government in the West Bank on Saturday, Israel Defense Forces told CNN.

Israeli forces seized State Minister Wasfi Kabaha at his home in the West Bankin in an early-morning raid. On Thursday, Education Minister Nasser Al Shaer and about 30 other senior members of Hamas were arrested.

Airstrikes directed at Hamas targets in Gaza killed four members of Hamas' special forces and injured three, according to Palestinian security and Hamas sources.

The airstrikes hit in Gaza City, Rafah and Khan Yunis.

Earlier in the day, Palestinian security sources reported four people were injured when Israeli airstrikes struck targets in and around Gaza City. Those targets included a facility used by bodyguards for Prime Minister Ismail Haniya and a wood workshop near the Jebailya refugee camp, the sources said.

Recent days have been marked by Palestinian rockets flying into Israel followed by Israeli strikes at Hamas targets. (Photo gallery)

On Friday, Palestinian security sources said Israeli airstrikes targeting positions in and around Gaza City killed a Palestinian and wounded more than 10 others.

The strikes followed a Palestinian-fired Qassam rocket hitting the yard of a house in Sderot Friday afternoon, according to the IDF and Israel Ambulance Services. At least eight rockets were fired into Israel from Gaza on Friday, officials said.

Also Friday, the IDF said it had carried out an aerial attack south of Gaza City against Hamas targets in an attempt to combat Palestinian rocket attacks.

Palestinian security sources said three Palestinians were wounded. They said the strike targeted a base of the Hamas Executive Force and a base of Hamas' Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades.

Israeli troops and settlers withdrew from Gaza in September 2005, ending their 38-year occupation of the region. The West Bank, meanwhile, remains occupied by Israel.

The Palestinian government is based in the West Bank city of Ramallah and is ruled by the Hamas party, which recently agreed to a power-sharing arrangement with the Fatah party.

The United States government considers Hamas a terrorist organization.

Journalist Talal Abu-Rahmi contributed to this report.

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