GAZA CITY, GAZA (BNO NEWS) -- An Israeli man was killed by a Gazan sniper on Tuesday while working on a border fence, prompting a series of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip that resulted in the death of a Palestinian toddler, marking the region's worst day of violence in nearly two months.

The first incident happened on early Tuesday morning when a sniper in Gaza killed an Israeli civilian by firing a single bullet at his chest. The victim was identified as 22-year-old Salah Shukri Abu Latyef, from the city of Rahat, who was doing maintenance along the Israel-Gaza border fence.

Hours later, Israeli forces retaliated by using warplanes and tanks to strike Hamas targets across the Gaza Strip. "The sites targeted were a weapon manufacturing facility and a terror infrastructure in the southern Gaza Strip, a terror site and another terror infrastructure in the central Gaza Strip, and a concealed rocket launcher in the northern Gaza Strip," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

Officials from Hamas, the Islamic group which rules the Gaza Strip, said a three-year-old girl who was standing with family members outside their home was killed by shrapnel when Israeli warplanes bombed the group's training camp in al-Bureij. Two of her brothers were injured, Hamas said, describing the toddler's death as a "criminal and cowardly act."

Israeli President Shimon Peres, addressing recent events, which includes Sunday's bombing of a bus near Tel Aviv that caused no casualties and Monday's stabbing of an Israeli policeman, said Israel will continue to defend itself. "If Gaza wants quiet then they should act accordingly, and if not then it will bear the results," he warned. "Gaza is not under any occupation. If they think the world will continue to support them while they create more victims then they are wrong. We will guarantee our security."

IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner added that Israel is not interested in an escalation in Gaza, but emphasized the military will not tolerate aggression towards Israel. "The IDF will continue to operate against those who use Gaza as a safe haven for terrorism against our civilians," he said.

Tuesday's violence marked the first killing of an Israeli civilian in the vicinity of the Gaza Strip since November 2012, when an Israeli offensive set off eight days of fierce cross-border fighting. At least 174 Palestinians and 6 Israelis were killed while hundreds more were injured until an Egyptian-brokered truce was reached with Palestinian militants.

In the region's most recent outbreak of violence, three Hamas militants were killed in early November when Israeli forces carried out an airstrike on a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip. It came just hours after a fourth militant was killed when he threw an explosive device at IDF forces which were working to destroy another tunnel on the Israel-Gaza border, injuring five Israeli soldiers.

(Copyright 2013 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: [email protected].)

That is the kind of stuff that happens when you use a toddler as a human shield.

That is the kind of stuff that happens when you use a toddler as a human shield.

A Child was killed an that''s all you can think to say?

are you familiar with the Article 33 of the fourth Geneva Convention?

A child - probably used as a human shield - was killed because, once again, Arab terrorists attacked civilians. They never seem to learn.

Edited December 26, 201312 yr by Ulysses G.

That is the kind of stuff that happens when you use a toddler as a human shield.

Where in the article does it state the child was being used as a human shield? It is claimed the child was killed & two brothers injured whilst standing outside their home. It's unclear if the home was inside the training camp or not.

Edited December 26, 201312 yr by simple1

That is the kind of stuff that happens when you use a toddler as a human shield.

Where in the article does it state the child was being used as a human shield? It is claimed the child was killed & two brothers injured whilst standing outside their home. It's unclear if the home was inside the training camp or not.

No where does it say so, According to CNN and Reuters, the house was located near a camp not inside

She was playing outside her house with family members who were also injured,

But why let the facts interfere with a good story? I wonder how some of the people above would feel if it was their child, I wonder if they would say,"oh well it was my fault for living near a camp" ?

That is the kind of stuff that happens when you use a toddler as a human shield.

Where in the article does it state the child was being used as a human shield? It is claimed the child was killed & two brothers injured whilst standing outside their home. It's unclear if the home was inside the training camp or not.

I'm sure you are correct. You did however help me make the point that what really happened is not that relevent. Only what the IDF press release indicates happened

actually matters.

Off-topic and inflammatory posts and replies have been deleted.

A sniper in Gaza killed an Israeli civilian. Israeli forces retaliated by striking a Hamas terrorist training camp across the Gaza Strip. Hamas initiated hostilities, are well known for using human shields and are to blame for any deaths.

Edited December 26, 201312 yr by Ulysses G.

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