Rocket Fire from Gaza Strip Targets Israel, Sparks Fears of Escalation
Dozens of rockets have been fired from the blockaded Gaza Strip towards Israel, prompting sirens warning of incoming fire to be heard as far away as the greater Tel Aviv area, according to news reports.
The rocket barrage began in the early hours of Saturday from multiple locations in Gaza, starting at 06:30 am local time (03:30 GMT) and lasted for nearly half an hour, as reported by the Agence France-Presse news agency.
Residents of Tel Aviv, located approximately 70 km (40 miles) to the north of Gaza, were startled by air raid sirens and were instructed to take shelter in bomb shelters within their homes and apartment buildings.
Amidst the rocket fire, Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue agency stated that a 70-year-old woman was critically injured when a rocket hit a building in southern Israel. Another individual, a 20-year-old man, was moderately injured by rocket shrapnel.
Moreover, residents in Gaza reported armed clashes along the separation fence with Israel, near the southern town of Khan Younis, and observed significant movement of armed Palestinian fighters. The Israeli military has not released additional details regarding these incidents.
In a rare public statement, Mohammed Deif, the leader of the military wing of Hamas, the armed movement that controls the Gaza Strip, announced the launch of a new military operation against Israel. Deif referred to the rockets fired into Israel as the start of “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm”. He urged all Palestinians to confront Israel in a recording, stating, “We’ve decided to say enough is enough.”
Following the rocket attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that he would be meeting with top security officials in the coming hours to discuss the escalating situation.
Al Jazeera’s Rob Reynolds, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, highlighted the element of surprise in the early morning attack. He noted that it appeared to involve Palestinian fighters in trucks and on paragliders, in addition to the rocket fire, which is likely to leave Israelis “shocked and stunned”.
As of now, Israel’s military has not issued an official comment. However, their forces typically respond to rocket fire with airstrikes, raising concerns of wider fighting between the two sides.
The rocket attacks come after weeks of escalating tensions along Israel’s volatile border with Gaza, as well as clashes in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where this year alone, the Israeli military has reportedly killed 200 Palestinians. Palestinian attacks on Israel have resulted in the deaths of approximately 30 people this year.
This is a breaking news story, and more updates are expected to follow soon.