Israel strikes Gaza

Military hits back at Hamas positions after rockets fired

THE Israeli military carried out reprisal strikes against Hamas in Gaza early yesterday, hours after rockets were fired from the Palestinian enclave, sources said.

Around 30 strikes targeted positions held by the military wing of Hamas, which governs Gaza, and their ally Islamic Jihad, causing significant damage, a Gazan security source said.

No injuries or deaths had been reported.

“We have just started striking terror sites in Gaza,” the Israel Defence Forces tweeted yesterday morning.

Almost daily exchanges between Israel and the Palestinian territory have threatened a wider escalation in hostilities over the past few weeks, as elections in Tel Aviv loom.

Friday’s strikes come hours after the Israeli army said two rockets were fired from Gaza toward the greater Tel Aviv district on Thursday evening.

On Thursday night, the Israeli foreign ministry posted a video appearing to show missiles climbing into the sky above high-rise buildings as sirens wail in the background.

“Two rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israeli territory,” an army statement said. “The alert and warning systems operated as required. No interceptions were made by aerial defence systems. No damage or injuries were reported.”

Tel Aviv mayor Ron Huldai told local television one of the Gaza rockets “apparently fell into the sea, the other hit somewhere but not in Tel Aviv”.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later convened an emergency security meeting. Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad have denied responsibility.

A statement from Hamas’ military wing said the group was “not responsible for the rockets fired tonight towards the enemy,” adding that it occurred during a visit by an Egyptian security delegation to Gaza. Egypt is a key negotiator between the two sides.