Palestinian rocket attack on Israel worst since 2014 war

ISRAEL was last night facing the most intense rocket barrage from Gaza since the 2014 conflict as Palestinian militants opened fire in response to a raid that left seven Palestinian fighters and an Israeli commando dead.

Hamas and its allies fired more than 200 rockets and mortars in three hours yesterday evening, filling the skies with explosions and sending thousands of Israelis fleeing to bomb shelters.

One Israeli soldier was seriously wounded when an anti-tank missile hit a bus. Several other Israelis suffered light injuries, while several rockets hit homes in towns near the Gaza border.

Israeli warplanes carried out a wave of air strikes throughout Gaza in response to the rocket fire. Three Palestinian fighters were killed by Israeli bombs, according to Palestinian media.

The fighting brought an end to weeks of relative quiet and strained hopes that Hamas and Israel were heading for a ceasefire deal.

Lt Col Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli military spokesman, said the “unacceptable attacks against Israel civilians” by Hamas had brought “destruction on to the Gaza Strip”.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad, a smaller Palestinian faction, said their attacks were in retaliation for an incursion into Gaza by Israeli special forces on Sunday night, which sparked a gun battle.

“The Occupation and its supporters [must] understand that unless the Palestinians [can] live in peace, they won’t live in peace. Playing with the lives of Palestinians can’t be without a price,” Islamic Jihad said.

“This is the most intense barrage since 2014 in terms of number of rockets fired in a short time,” said Michael Horowitz, the deputy head of intelligence at the Le Beck analysis firm.

An Israeli team infiltrated Gaza on Sunday, posing as Palestinians in a civilian vehicle, but were stopped at a checkpoint near the southern city of Khan Younes, according to Hamas.

Shooting broke out and the commandos retreated to the border while Israeli aircraft launched strikes to cover their withdrawal.

An Israeli officer, named only as Lt-col M, and Nour Baraka, 37, a Hamas commander, were killed. Six other Palestinian fighters were also killed.