Israel kills Hamas commander in first targeted strike in years

JERUSALEM - Israel killed a Hamas commander in the Gaza Strip on Sunday in what the military described as a targeted strike and Palestinians said was the first such action since the 2014 war in the Palestinian enclave.

A military statement said that Hamed Ahmed Abed Khudri had been responsible for transferring funds from Iran to armed factions in Gaza. Palestinian witnesses said he was killed in an air strike on his car.

Palestinian witnesses said he was killed in an air strike on his car.

Earlier on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to keep up “massive strikes” in response to rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, as an escalation entered its second day.