- Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip unexpectedly fired dozens of rockets at targets in Israel on Saturday morning.
- Warning sirens wailed in various cities across the country, the army said. Rocket alarms were also heard in Tel Aviv.
- According to the army, several armed Palestinians also entered Israeli territory in the course of the attacks.
- The military chief of the Islamist Hamas declared the start of a “military operation” against Israel.
The Israeli military said several terrorists were on Israeli territory and called on residents of border towns on the edge of the coastal strip to stay in their homes. Eyewitnesses reported exchanges of gunfire on the street. It was unclear how the attackers from the Gaza Strip were able to overcome the strictly protected border. Among other things, a video circulating on social media showed a hang glider. However, this could not initially be independently verified.
The Islamist Hamas, which rules in the Gaza Strip, then declared the start of a “military operation” against Israel. Hamas has decided to put an end to Israeli “crimes,” said Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif in a message on Saturday morning.
Several injured after rocket attacks
After the rocket attacks, the Israeli military called on residents of the southern and central parts of the country to stay in protected areas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to hold security consultations with representatives of the Defense Ministry and the army later in the day.
According to initial findings, a woman was killed and 15 other people were injured in the rocket attacks. In response, the Israeli Air Force shelled targets in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli army spokesman confirmed. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Joav Galant approved the mobilization of reservists.
Legend:
A firefighter on duty in the city of Ashkelon.
REUTERS/Amir Cohen
The situation, particularly in the occupied West Bank, had recently worsened again. Four Palestinians have been killed there since Thursday in their own attacks or in confrontations with the army.
The security situation has been tense for some time
The security situation in Israel and the West Bank has long been tense. Since the beginning of the year, 27 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian have been killed in attacks. During the same period, more than 200 Palestinians died in Israeli military operations, confrontations or after their own attacks.
Israel conquered the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967. The Palestinians claim these areas for an independent state of Palestine with the Arab-dominated eastern part of Jerusalem as its capital.
Israeli attacks on posts in Gaza
There have been several violent protests at the Gaza border in the past month. Explosive devices were also thrown at soldiers and several Palestinians were injured by gunfire. In light of the incidents, the Israeli air force repeatedly attacked posts of the militant Palestinian organization Hamas, which rules in the Gaza Strip.
According to the UN, more than two million people live in very poor conditions in the Gaza Strip. Hamas, classified as a terrorist organization by the EU, USA and Israel, violently seized sole power in 2007. Israel then tightened a blockade of the coastal area, which Egypt supported.