Palestinian Islamists launched three rockets from the Gaza Strip towards Israel’s southern communities. The rockets’ trajectories were in the direction of the city of Sderot, at a time when an outdoor music performance was underway. The air raid sirens forced the thousands of Israelis attending the concert to rush for cover. Thankfully no serious injuries were reported, as two of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-rocket defense system – while the third projectile landed in an uninhabited area. Several hours later, the IDF launched a retaliatory attack against Hamas installations in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, including the office of a Hamas battalion commander and a military compound.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit underscored in a statement that it “will continue to operate against attempts to harm Israeli civilians,” while further reiterating that it “holds the Hamas terror organization accountable for events transpiring in the Gaza Strip and emanating from it.” Meanwhile, the Military’s Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories announced that under the directives of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel will halve the fuel it delivers to the Islamist infested territory until further notice. In response to this decision, the Islamist Hamas organization warned that it holds Israel “responsible for the consequences of reducing fuel shipments to Gaza’s only power plant.” That said, it did not elaborate on possible retaliation to the Israeli decision.