Violence escalated in and around the Gaza Strip overnight and this morning, when Palestinian Islamists launched a barrage of more than 30 rockets from the Palestinian enclave towards Israel’s southern communities. While seven rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-rocket defense systems, the remaining rockets exploded both in residential, as well as open areas. While some damage was reported to several Israeli residential structures and private vehicles; thankfully, no injuries were reported. In response to the rocket fire, the Israeli Air Force targeted, early this morning, a number of militant installations belonging to the Islamist Hamas organization. Two members of the Islamist group were reportedly lightly hurt in one of the air strikes in the southern Gaza Strip. Following the retaliation attack, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit released a statement, saying: “Hamas led a severe rocket attack on the Israeli home front and is leading the Gaza Strip and its residents to deterioration and an escalation. The IDF views Hamas as responsible for everything done in the Gaza Strip and out of it, and it will suffer the consequences of terrorist operations that are carried out against Israeli citizens.”
