GAZA, November 15, 2012 (WAFA) – Three Palestinians were killed Thursday morning in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the city of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, raising the death toll to 11 since Wednesday afternoon.

Medical sources in Gaza reported that 11 Palestinians were killed; including two children, a pregnant woman and an elderly, 116 were injured, including 25 children, 11 elderly and 17 women.

Sources told WAFA that Israeli air forces targeted a group of Palestinians in Khan Yunis with one missile, killing Hisham Ghalban, 25, Wael Ghalban, 28, and Habis Masamah, 29. Their remains were transferred to Naser hospital in Khan Yunis.

Ahmad al-Jabari, the operational commander of Hamas's armed wing “Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades” and his bodyguard Muhammad al-Hams, 28 were assassinated when an Israeli airstrike targeted their car in Gaza City.

Jabari was behind the 2006 abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.  

Meanwhile, another six Palestinians were killed in the heavy operation carried against Gaza, including the four-year-old Rinan Arafat and 11-month-old Omar Mashharawi, Hiba Mashharawi, 19, and Muhammad Abu Swawen, 65, Muhammad Kasih, 18, and Issam Ma’zi, 19.

More than 80 airstrikes targeted several locations in Gaza from Rafah in the south, Gaza City and Beit Hanoun in the north since the beginning of the escalation against the strip; 20 airstrikes were carried out on Thursday alone injuring a number of Palestinians.

President Mahmoud Abbas strongly condemned the assault on Gaza and warned of the seriousness of the escalation, demanding immediate halt of military operations to protect the people of Gaza.

He requested for an immediate Arab League meeting at the level of permanent delegates to discuss the Israeli escalation.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian Authority's UN envoy, called on the UN to act and protect the Palestinian people from the wrath of Israel, to stop the bleeding in Gaza and to protect the diminishing hopes in the prospects for peace.

“We appeal once again to the international community to take a stand for the protection of civilians, for the rule of law, and for peace and stability.”

The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on Wednesday night to discuss Israeli strikes against the Gaza Strip but no actions were taken.

Indian Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, president of the 15-nation Security Council this month, told reporters, 'The message that must be taken from this meeting is the violence must stop.'

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed, in a statement, his concern about the deteriorating situation in southern Israel and the Gaza Strip.

Egypt’s President Muhamed Morsi recalled the Egyptian Ambassador to Israel Yasser Ridha, following the assassination of al-Jabari.

Palestinian senior officials held Israel responsible for the consequences of this new act of aggression. Member of PLO Executive Committee Saeb Erekat said: “We condemn in the strongest terms this new Israeli assassination that aims to initiate a bloody escalation. This exposes that Israel has an agenda for war but not for peace.”

In a recent development, three Israelis were killed when four missiles fired from the Gaza Strip hit the city of Kiryat Malachi, south of Israel.