Israeli Airstrike Kills at Least 11 in Gaza

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- An Israeli missile in Gaza Sunday killed at least 11 people, including four children, according to published media reports.

The deadly attack likely will diminish chances for a cease-fire.

Sunday's airstrike killed five women and four small children, according to The Associated Press, which cited a Gaza health official.

Israeli officials said the attack was aimed at killing a militant involved in recent rocket attacks against Israel, The New York Times reported.

Also Sunday, Israel aircraft attacked a Hamas radio headquarters in a building that had foreign journalists inside, The Wall Street Journal said. Meanwhile, militant rocket attacks caused alarm in southern Israel, the Journal added.

The escalating violence has killed more than 50 people, according to the Times.

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Israel began its current assault on Wednesday, saying it was necessary because of militant rocket attacks from. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Sunday that the nation's defense forces were prepared to "significantly widen" the assault, the Journal said.

In Bangkok, President Obama said Israel had the right to defend itself against rocket attacks.

"There's no country on earth that would tolerate missiles raining down on its citizens from outside its borders," Obama said, according to the Times. "We are fully supportive of Israel's right to defend itself."

Obama's comments Sunday were were the president's first public ones since the current violence exploded, the Times said.

This article was written by a staff member of TheStreet.