A ground operation in the Gaza Strip has been launched by Tel Aviv following more than a week of Hamas shelling the country and the IDF responding with air strikes. Over 200 Palestinians and one Israeli have died in the violence.
23 August 2014
Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the military action will "intensify" after an Israeli boy was killed by fire from Gaza. The four-year-old died in a mortar attack on a southern Israeli village close to the Gaza border.
On Friday, at least five people were killed in Gaza in IDF bombardments, Palestinian officials stated.
Over 2,000 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, and 67 Israelis have been killed over the last few weeks.
10 August 2014
Pope Francis has expressed his outrage at the violence gripping Iraq, especially the way it affects religious minorities. He especially noted children fleeing from violence and dying of thirst and hunger, and called on the world to “stop these crimes.”
A new 72-hour pause in hostilities was negotiated with Israel, according to the AP. The Egypt-proposed model was accepted by Hamas and comes on the heels of renewed fighting and other failed international attempts at ceasefires over the past month.
09 August 2014
Israel launched 30 strikes on Gaza on Saturday, killing five Palestinians. A 10-year-old boy was among those killed.
Two Palestinians were killed when their motorcycle was bombed, and the bodies of three others were found beneath the debris of one of three bombed mosques, local medics said, according to Reuters. Three houses were also targeted on Saturday.
03 August 2014
The Palestinian Health Ministry said casualties have reached 1,830 killed and 9,370 wounded so far in Gaza since Israel launched its offensive almost a month ago. The dead include 398 children, 207 women and 74 elderly people, said Dr Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman for the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said casualties have reached 1,830 killed and 9,370 wounded so far in Gaza since Israel launched its offensive almost a month ago. The dead include 398 children, 207 women and 74 elderly people, said Dr Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman for the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza.
02 August 2014
Israel won’t send envoys to Gaza ceasefire negotiations planned in Egypt on Saturday, an unnamed Israeli official told Reuters.
He accused the Palestinian side of misleading international mediators, saying that “Hamas is not interested in an accommodation.”
An Egyptian-brokered ceasefire on Friday broke down within hours, with Israel and Hamas blaming each other.
A Palestinian delegation, including Hamas representatives, was due to arrive later on Saturday in Cairo for new talks.
30 July 2014
French President Francois Hollande condemned the Wednesday morning shelling of the UN school in Gaza, which killed at least 20 people AFP reports citing the statement of the Elysee Palace.
"The French president agrees with the Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, who considers this measure unjustified," said the official statement, adding that "France calls for the immediate introduction of the ceasefire."
22 July 2014
DAILY RECAP: Day 14 of Operation Protective Edge. In 4 days, we have uncovered 23 Hamas terror tunnels pic.twitter.com/lXT87EQ3tq
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 22, 2014
21 July 2014
The US is going to send US $47 million in humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip to help tens of thousands of Palestinians who have been forced from their homes after Israel launched its offensive operation two weeks ago, reports AP. About $15 million of that money will go to the United Nations' refugee mission in Gaza, according to a State Department breakdown of the aid released Monday.
Secretary of State John Kerry was expected to discuss the aid with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in a meeting late Monday in Cairo. The American diplomat is in the Egyptian capital to help broker a truce between Israel and Hamas.
20 July 2014
Rt @jonjensenCNN This is what Shaja'ai looks like right now in #Gaza, after more than 12 hours of heavy bombardment pic.twitter.com/m4pkKqjNxh
— Bel Trew - بل ترو (@Beltrew) July 20, 2014
17 July 2014
Al-Wafa rehabilitation hospital in Gaza City is hit by an Israeli strike, according to Physicians for Human Rights. Several people have been wounded.
Gaza residents report heavy artillery, naval shelling and helicopter fire along the Gaza border.
LIVE: Shocking picture of Israel firing missiles at Gaza randomly with ground invasion. #GazaUnderAttack#SaveGazapic.twitter.com/R0Db9J2hin
— αηιs (@theblogpirate) July 17, 2014
Israel's ground invasion of Gaza will have "dreadful consequences", Hamas says.
"It does not scare the Hamas leaders or the Palestinian people," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters. "We warn Netanyahu of the dreadful consequences of such a foolish act."
Beachfront hotels given 30 mins to evacuate. Just over 20 mins ago. #Gaza
— Alexander Marquardt (@MarquardtA) July 17, 2014
The Israeli ground forces are to strike Palestinian militant sites throughout Gaza, but the operation does not seek to topple Hamas rule, the Israeli military said.
“We are now continuing with the ground forces to strike terrorist infrastructure, Hamas infrastructure, in multiple areas throughout the Gaza Strip," army spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner said.
BREAKING NEWS: A large IDF force has just launched a ground operation in the Gaza Strip. A new phase of Operation Protective Edge has begun.
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 17, 2014
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the military to begin a ground offensive in Gaza, his office said.
"The prime minister and defence minister have instructed the IDF to begin a ground operation tonight in order to hit the terror tunnels from Gaza into Israel," the statement said.
Reports on Twitter indicate intensive shelling of the Gaza Strip, both from land and air.
It's raining bombs across Gaza Strip now from sea, land and air... Israel is bombing everything... #GazaUnderAttack
— فلسطين i (@iFalasteen) July 17, 2014
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has launched an investigation after 20 rockets were found hidden in one of its vacant schools in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
“UNRWA strongly condemns the group or groups responsible for placing the weapons in one of its installations,” the agency said in a statement. “This is a flagrant violation of the inviolability of its premises under international law.”
The incident was the first of its kind, UNRWA stressed, warning that it “endangered civilians, including staff, and put at risk UNRWA's vital mission.”
Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has denied reports of a truce deal to end fighting in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
Lieberman said the reports about the truce that would take effect on Friday at 06:00 local time were "as of now incorrect". Hamas said the talks in Egypt were ongoing.
The UN-brokered humanitarian truce ended at 12:00 GMT on Thursday.
#Hamas is denying it broke the #ceasefire today, blaming rocket attack on terrorists
— PaulaSlier_RT (@PaulaSlier_RT) July 17, 2014
The Israeli security cabinet has agreed to a truce with Palestinian militant movement Hamas after discussions in Egypt. There was no immediate confirmation from Hamas or affiliated groups that they would support a ceasefire.
Three mortar shells have been fired from Gaza after Israeli authorities and Hamas agreed to a humanitarian ceasefire, said Israel's military. Earlier, Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that two rockets from Gaza fell on the territory of southern Israel two hours after the truce began. The rockets caused no injuries or damages, he added.
Israeli tank fire has struck a house in Southern Gaza minutes before Israeli officials and Hamas agreed on a humanitarian ceasefire Thursday morning, reported medics. The attack killed three Gaza residents and seriously injured four other people, according to Emergency Services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra.
UN confirms receiving confirmation of a 5-hour “humanitarian pause” of the Israeli assault on Gaza.
United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process “received confirmation from the Government of Israel that a humanitarian pause will commence today, 17 July, at 10:00 a.m., for the duration of 5 hours,” the statement said, urging Hamas to respect this decision.
16 July 2014
Israel has agreed to a request from Robert Serry, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East for UNRWA, to suspend its bombardment of Hamas positions in Gaza, to allow aid to be delivered to Palestinians. The UN asked that the IDF stop Operation Protective Edge for 6 hours, on Thursday, though it may still wait for Hamas to agree the terms.
Four Palestinian children were killed by an air strike while playing football on Gaza beach. Dozens of international journalists witnessed the tragedy.
"This is a cowardly crime," said Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for the Gaza Health Ministry.
The children have been named as Ahed Atef Bakr and Zakaria Ahed Bakr, both aged 10, Mohamed Ramez Bakr, 11, and Ismael Mohamed Bakr, 9. All those killed were relatives, while another boy is in hospital in critical condition.
“We do not target civilians, we target Hamas terrorists,” IDF representative Peter Lerner told RT.
“I have seen the footage of the incident, and indeed it does look tragic, and we will have to look into the circumstances.”
Although it was initially thought that the mortars came from a gunboat, senior IDF officials have told Israel's Haaretz newspaper that the shells came from Israeli planes, hunting down Hamas militants.
A Hamas representative is to hold talks with the Egyptian leadership on Wednesday regarding a ceasefire agreement with Israel. Senior Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad said that the principal task of the meeting is to shape the Egyptian peace initiative, which supposed to stop all military action back on Tuesday morning. Israel, which agreed to Egypt’s ceasefire plan, nevertheless resumed its military operation in Gaza after militants of Hamas and Islamic Jihad continued firing rockets on Israeli territory.
The death toll has now climbed to 200 Palestinians and one Israeli as Hamas rejects the Egypt-proposed truce, AFP reports.
Israeli jets early Wednesday bombed the home of a senior Hamas leader as part of a series of morning raids on the organization’s officials.
15 July 2014
The UN described the damage inflicted by the Israeli military operation in Gaza as “immense”, with more than 500 homes razed.
"The level of human losses and destruction in Gaza is really immense," said UNWRA spokesman Sami Mshasha. "According to our latest figure, we are talking about 174 killed and well over 1,100 injured. This number will increase. The numbers are increasing by hours," he told reporters, as he said that a “good number” of those killed are women and children.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that bombing of Gaza is resulting in shortages of water supply.
"Hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza are now without water. Within days, the entire population of the Strip may be desperately short of water," said Jacques de Maio, the head of ICRC operations in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
"Water and electrical services are also affected as a result of the current hostilities. If they do not stop, the question is not if but when an already beleaguered population will face an acute water crisis," he said in a statement.
German foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced a 500,000 EUR humanitarian aid and medical assistance package to Gaza as he met with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, the German Foreign office announced.
FM #Steinmeier continued his talks in #MiddleEast. In #Ramallah he met w/ PAL Pres. #Abbas + FM #AlMaliki 1/2 pic.twitter.com/7tl0Ry35S6
— GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) July 15, 2014
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is to meet with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi on Wednesday, his office said, to focus on the implementation of the Egyptian cease-fire proposal. Abbas is later to travel to Turkey on July 18 to meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, also to discuss the tense situation in the region.
The IDF is using recorded telephone messages to warn more than 100,000 residents of Gaza City to evacuate their homes, Haaretz reports.
Israel is sending warning messages to civilians in Gaza ahead of military attacks to avoid casualties.
As part of our effort to avoid harming civilians, we are sending messages to residents of northern Gaza to leave homes for their own safety.
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 15, 2014
IDF reports that since 9 am local time, more than 125 rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel. The Iron Dome managed to intercept 20 of them, with shelling by alleged Hamas militants reportedly ongoing.
Update: Barrage of rockets fired at southern Israel. 3 were intercepted by Iron Dome & 2 hit open area
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 15, 2014
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired Deputy Minister of Defense Danny Danon for being critical of the PM’s policies.
Hundreds have gathered in London near BBC headquarters on Tuesday to protest against what the demonstrators perceive is the broadcaster’s biased coverage of events in the Mideast.
The protesters are shouting slogans such as “Shame on you!”
Huge crowds outside the #BBC in #London right now protesting against perceived biased #Gaza coverage. Pic v. @leept1pic.twitter.com/gTJbCiIlW9
— Sara Firth (@SaraFirth_RT) July 15, 2014
Israel will “expand and intensify” the military campaign due to the continued rocket fire from Gaza, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in broadcast remarks.
"It would have been preferable to have solved this diplomatically, and this is what we tried to do when we accepted the Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire, but Hamas leaves us no choice but to expand and intensify the campaign against it."
An Israeli civilian has been killed by a rocket from Gaza at the Erez crossing near the border between the two conflicting sides, according to the IDF. This is the first Israeli fatality since the military operation began on Tuesday.
#Gaza Municipality building was just hit .
— DiaaMahmoud (@DiaaMahmoud) July 15, 2014
A senior Israeli official says the country’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israeli Defense Forces to strike targets in Gaza, Haaretz reports. "After Hamas and Islamic Jihad refused Egypt's proposal for a cease-fire and fired dozens of rockets at Israel, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon ordered the army to carry out forceful strikes against terror targets in Gaza," he said.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has called on Hamas to stop firing rockets at Israel and to accept the ceasefire. "I condemn Hamas for shooting rockets at the time Israel and Egypt are working in good faith to get a cease-fire," he said during a press conference in Vienna.
The Israeli military has denied it launched an air strike on Gaza following the mid-morning start of an Egyptian backed ceasefire, AP reports.
Hamas police spokesman Eyad Bouzam said an Israeli strike hit an apartment building in northern Gaza.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday stepped up his criticism of Israel over its deadly air offensive aimed at Gaza. He accused the Jewish state of committing "state terrorism" against the Palestinians, reports AFP.
Presenting himself as the sole world leader speaking up for the Palestinians, Erdogan said that any normalization in the troubled ties between Israel and Ankara was currently out of the question.
"Israel is continuing to carry out state terrorism in the region. Nobody, except us, tells it to stop," Erdogan told members of his ruling party in parliament, accusing Israel of perpetrating a "massacre" of Palestinians.
Israel on Tuesday accepted an Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire, despite a Hamas decision to turn down the U.S.-backed truce. Erdogan welcomed the ceasefire proposal as "very positive" and "precious". "I hope this ceasefire will be secured," he said.
Four people have been killed in Syria’s Golan Heights after a dawn raid by Israeli warplanes struck three administrative and military targets. Two security guards and two women lost their lives, AFP reports.
“Israeli planes flying over the occupied Golan Heights launched rockets into southern Syria’s Quneitra province at around 1:15 am (2215 GMT). Rockets hit Base 90 -- a Syrian military airbase -- and regime bastion Baath City. Four people were killed,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Speaking after Israel accepted the Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire, the country's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu said, “If Hamas will not accept the cease-fire, we will intensify the attacks against it," Haaretz reports.
Speaking in a press conference with the German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Netanyahu said, "We accepted the Egyptian cease-fire proposal to give an opportunity to demilitarize the [Gaza] Strip from rockets. If Hamas continues to fire at Israel, Israel will have the international legitimacy to take action."
Since Israel suspended strikes in Gaza, Hamas militants have fired 22 rockets at Israel. One of them struck a house in Ashdod and caused damage, while another was directed at Haifa, the country's third biggest city, reports the Israeli Defense Forces.
Grad rocket landed in Southern Israel 2 hours ago appears to have been intercepted, Israeli missile debris nearby pic.twitter.com/RbC1QNhhs1
— Quentin Sommerville (@sommervillebbc) July 15, 2014
Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired rockets at Israel on Tuesday after the Israeli government accepted, and Hamas Islamists said they rejected, an Egyptian-proposed ceasefire.
Live television showed the Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepting several rockets over the port city of Ashdod and sirens sounded in other parts of southern Israel. Israel Radio said a factory in Ashdod was hit, but there was no immediate word of casualties.
Channel Two TV said 10 rockets had been launched. The Israeli military, which said it had stopped its attacks in Gaza, reported before the Ashdod strike that three rockets had been fired since the ceasefire deal was to have gone into effect at 06.00 GMT.
Israeli newspaper newspaper Haaretz reports that 10 people received shrapnel wounds when one of the rockets hit a parked car in the southern Israeli city of Eilat. 10 other people were treated for shock. This is the first time that Eilat has been targeted during the latest conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Three rockets have been fired from Egypt towards the southern Israeli resort of Eilat on Tuesday morning. Four civilians were injured, according to Israeli security officials. They added that they believed the rockets were fired by Islamist militants in the Egyptian Sinai in an attempt to derail Cairo’s efforts to mediate a truce between Israel and Palestine and put an end to the week-long shelling of the Gaza Strip.
Update: 4 lightly injured in recent rocket attack on Eilat pic.twitter.com/hp99Bi1xIK
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 14, 2014
Israeli Finance Minister Yair Lapid said the military operation against Gaza costs millions a day.
“Protective Edge isn’t a low-cost operation, because there’s no such thing as a cheap military operation. But there’s no price we won’t pay for the citizens of Israel,” Lapid told a meeting of his Yesh Atid party, Haaretz reported.
The minister did not cite specific figures, but a Haaretz source estimated the daily cost at 110 million shekels (US$32.1 million).
At the same time, Lapid said that Israel is prepared to bear the cost of the IDF offensive.
“The Israeli economy is strong enough, and our enemies need to understand our economic strength gives us breathing room and the ability to continue with an extended military operation – even, if the need arises, a wider offensive.”
14 July 2014
Israel reports that two rockets hit Eilat and an additional rocket hit an open area near the city. At least four have been injured.
Update: 4 lightly injured in recent rocket attack on Eilat pic.twitter.com/hp99Bi1xIK
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 14, 2014
Pro-Palestine protesters angry with the US government's support for Israel during its military attack on targets in Gaza held a raucous demonstration outside a New York City Council press conference on Monday.
IDF artillery forces fired salvo of shells & flares at source of recent rocket attack from Lebanon. UNIFIL notified of incident's severity.
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 14, 2014
Rocket fired from Lebanon struck northern Israel on Monday, the Israeli military said. According to the reports, Israel was hit with at least one rocket launched from Lebanon. It was the fourth time rockets have been fired from its territory since the start of the offensive. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Five people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza, raising the death toll from the week-long offensive to 184, medics said, as quoted by AFP.
Three people were killed in southern Rafah, including a four-year-old child. Two people were killed in Khan Yunis, said emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra.
This surpasses the death toll of the 2012 Operation Pillar of Defense, which claimed 177 Palestinian lives, according to IDF.
Egypt has launched the initiative for a truce between Israel and Gaza which will start Tuesday at 6 a.m. GMT, AFP reported.
The ceasefire will come into force shortly before the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Arab League in Cairo, who plan to discuss the Israeli offensive.
The death toll in Gaza has reached 177 on the seventh day of the Israeli air campaign in Gaza according to the United Nations. A UN official said that a quarter of those killed were children. More than 1,280 have been wounded and the Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) said Sunday that more than three-quarters of the victims were civilians.
The US warned Monday against an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza, saying it would put even more civilians at risk. But Washington stopped short of criticizing Israel for the mounting civilian death toll in Gaza, saying that the Israelis have the "right" and "responsibility" to defend their citizens.
A short while ago, a rocket attack from Gaza wounded 2 girls aged 11 and 13 in Lakiya (near Beersheba), 1 seriously and 1 moderately.
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 14, 2014
Thousands marched in Paris on Sunday to protest Israel's Operation Protective Edge. The demonstration turned violent when some protesters started throwing objects at police officers, who in turn responded with tear gas. A synagogue was attacked during a service, with worshipers briefly blocked inside.
The UK Foreign Secretary William Hague told the House of Commons Monday that 27 British nationals were evacuated from Gaza last night.
Rocket sirens are sounding in greater Tel Aviv, Tikva and Petach as Hamas continues to bomb Israeli cities.
BREAKING: Rocket siren sounded in Tel Aviv, Petach Tikva
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) July 14, 2014
Meanwhile a rocket exploded in Sderot, causing massive damage to parked vehicles and to a house nearby, but no casualties, Haaretz.com reports. The Israeli Air Force bombed the site in central Gaza from where it was believed the rocket was fired from.
Sirens sound in Tel Aviv, as Hamas fires two more rockets at the city.
— Newshound (@NewshoundMedia) July 14, 2014
Rocket sirens are being sounded in greater Tel Aviv, Petach and Tivka.
BREAKING: Rocket siren sounded in Tel Aviv, Petach Tikva
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) July 14, 2014
Meanwhile a rocket exploded in Sderot, causing massive damage to parked vehicles and to a house nearby, but there were no casualties, Haaretz.com reports. Israel Air Force bombed a site in central Gaza Strip from the spot where the rocket was fired toward Eshkol Regional Council about an hour ago.
Three Israeli Jews who were arrested for the murder of a Palestinian teenager have confessed to kidnapping him and then burning him alive, officials stated on Monday. The incident helped to trigger a week of fighting between Israel and Hamas around the Gaza strip.
Following the easing of a court gagging order regarding the case, Israel said that the suspects, two of whom are minors, had told interrogators that they had killed Mohammad Abu Khudair in revenge for the murder of three Jewish teenagers in the occupied West Bank last month.
The Israeli court refused to give the names of the suspects, who have not been formally charged.
The Associated French Press has announced that the Arab League has called for international protection for Gaza. They are calling on the international community to act to end Israeli airstrikes aimed at the region.
#BREAKING: Arab League calls for international protection for Gaza
— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) July 14, 2014
Israel says it has shot down a drone from Gaza with the military wing of Palestinian party Hamas claiming responsibility, the Jerusalem Post reports. This is the first reported deployment of an unmanned aircraft by Palestinian militants.
Hamas spokespeople also said that they sent several other drones into Israel for deep reconnaissance purposes. The drone was eventually shot down by a Patriot missile battery over an open area in Ashdod, at around 8 am local time, the Israeli Defense Force stated.
An aerial drone from Gaza infiltrated Israel a short time ago. IDF forces shot it down with a Patriot missile above Ashdod.
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 14, 2014
Rockets have continued to be fired into Israel on Monday. Six were launched at Ashdod at 1pm local time. One fell in a yard next to a house, leaving an 8-year-old boy with light injuries and setting a car on fire. The boy was being treated by paramedics, the Jerusalem Post added.
Both sides also confirmed that Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian man during clashes in the occupied West Bank on Monday, while the European Union said it was in touch with "parties in the region" to press for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
IDF said that more than 950 rockets and mortars have been fired from Gaza since Israel’s Operation Protective Edge began. Nearly 200 of them were successfully intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
Meanwhile, Israel has hit around 1,400 targets in Gaza since the start of the operation.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern over the rising hostilities in Gaza on Sunday, adding that an Israeli ground offensive would "undoubtedly increase the death toll and exacerbate civilian suffering in the Gaza Strip.”
Ban also called for an end to the violence: "The Secretary-General does not believe that what is inherently a longstanding, serious political dispute between Israelis and Palestinians can be resolved via military means by either side," The UN’s press office quoted him as saying.
13 July 2014
IDF fired artillery into Lebanon after two rockets hit Israeli territory, Reuters quoted Lebanese security sources and IDF as saying. The rockets came from the south of Lebanon and were the third such attack since Friday.
No casualties or damage were reported on the Israeli side, Israeli police spokeswoman said.
Israel Defense Forces says it has fired artillery fire into Syria after a rocket hit Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Sunday evening causing no casualties.
The rocket fell on open ground and is thought to have been fired intentionally, IDF said, adding that their hits were confirmed.
This evening a rocket from Syria hit Israel, likely intentionally. We responded with artillery toward Syrian military posts. Hits confirmed.
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 13, 2014
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuffed international calls for a ceasefire while defending his country's offensive in Gaza during appearances on US television on Sunday, reports Reuters. He urged Americans to imagine that their cities from the East Coast to Colorado were under threat of rocket attack, with only 60 to 90 seconds to reach a bomb shelter. “That's what we're experiencing right now, as we speak,” he told CBS' 'Face the Nation' program.
Netanyahu refused to discuss a ceasefire or give a timeline for Israel's operation in Gaza. When asked if a ground invasion was imminent, he said his country would use any means necessary to accomplish its goal of degrading Hamas' rocket-launching capability in order to restore security for Israeli civilians.
"Whether we're at the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning I'm not going to tell you that right now - because we face a very, very brutal terrorist enemy," he said on 'Fox News Sunday.'
6 rockets fired from Gaza minutes ago: 1 struck building in Ashkelon, 2 hit Ashdod, 3 others intercepted by the Iron Dome
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 13, 2014
Thousands of Palestinians and foreign nationals fled their homes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday in a reaction to Israel’s appeal to evacuate, Reuters reports. "Those who fail to comply with the instructions will endanger their lives and the lives of their families. Beware," read a leaflet dropped by the Israeli military in northern Gaza - home to around 100,000 people - ahead of another military campaign. However, the Gaza Interior Ministry, said the Israeli warning was "psychological warfare" in a statement on Hamas radio, and called on people to return to their homes and stay in.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Sunday said that securing a ceasefire for the Gaza Strip and preventing an escalation of the latest outbreak of hostilities between Israel and the Palestinians was top priority for France.
"In Gaza and Israel the absolute priority is a ceasefire," Fabius told reporters ahead of a side discussion on the latest outbreak of hostilities in Gaza with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, British Foreign Secretary William Hague and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
"In this context of a dangerous escalation, France asks for a return to the 2012 ceasefire," he added. (Reuters)
The Israeli military has told all residents in the North of the Gaza Strip to evacuate their homes following the IDF’s morning raid on a missile launch site.
Several hundred left-wing activists in Tel Aviv, rallying against the Israeli operation in Gaza on Saturday night, were attacked by a group of several dozen rightists, Haaretz reports.
The attack took place when the rally participants started to move in the direction of shelters, after hearing rocket alert sirens.
Eyewitnesses say the assailants used clubs, while police did nothing to stop the violence. One of the protesters was taken to hospital. No one was arrested.
The Australian Embassy in Tel Aviv has urged all Australian nationals to leave the Gaza Strip and will be providing one-off assistance to aid their departure. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she was “deeply concerned by the deteriorating situation” in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Bishop has called on both sides to exercise restraint to avoid any further escalation.
Israeli naval commandos have entered the northern Gaza Strip to raid a site used for missile launches, Israel Defense Forces said early on Sunday. The mission was accomplished, IDF said on Twitter.
1/2 BREAKING: IDF forces raided a site used to fire long-range rockets at Israel. The mission was accomplished
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 13, 2014
2/2 During the mission, there was an exchange of fire. 4 soldiers were lightly injured & all returned home safely
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 13, 2014
#IAF helicopters heard approaching, in the west of #Gaza City.
— Harry Fear (@harryfear) July 13, 2014
12 July 2014
The IDF said 140 rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza on the fourth day of Operation Protective Edge. A total of 107 rockets hit Israel, and 27 were intercepted by the Iron Dome. At the same time, the Israeli Air Force hit 235 terror-related targets in the Gaza Strip.
Kuwait has called for an urgent Arab foreign ministers meeting for Monday “to discuss the deteriorating situation” in the Gaza Strip, Arab League permanent representative Aziz Rahim Al-Daihani told AFP.
More than 15 naval shells fired at #Gaza's marina now. Video in a moment.
— Harry Fear (@harryfear) July 12, 2014
An American tourist in Israel died of a heart attack after sirens went off in Jerusalem on Saturday. The 74-year-old woman died on the scene, with paramedics unable to revive her, The Times of Israel reported.
BREAKING: Witnesses say that the #Al-Batch home strike didn't come with a warning (it was not roof-knocked, like many recent strikes).
— Harry Fear (@harryfear) July 12, 2014
Lebanon fired rockets at northern Israel on Saturday, prompting the Israeli army to respond with artillery fire, Reuters quoted Lebanese security sources and the Israeli military as saying. This is the second confrontation between the two sides in two days.
"Initial reports indicate that at least two rockets fired from Lebanon hit open areas north of Nahariya. No damage or injuries, thus far," an Israeli military statement said.
A Lebanese security source stated that three rockets were fired from Lebanon.
An Israeli airstrike on the home of Gaza's police chief has killed 15 people, Reuters quoted the Gaza Health Ministry as saying.
Police Chief Tayseer Al-Batsh is said to be in critical condition and the majority of the dead are from the same family, according to a Hamas member. An Israeli military spokesman is reportedly looking into the claims.
Unconfirmed reports now that #Israel just struck a #Gaza home belonging to the Al-Batch family: 11 killed, 10 injured.
— Harry Fear (@harryfear) July 12, 2014
Nineteen people were killed on Saturday as Israel launched an eighth missile interceptor battery to counter rocket fire from Gaza, according to health officials who estimated the overall death toll of Palestinians at 125.
The UN Security Council has called for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine, citing serious concerns about the protection of civilians on both sides.
"The Security Council members called for de-escalation of the situation, restoration of calm, and reinstitution of the November 2012 ceasefire," the 15-member body said in a statement.
An image showing Israelis in Sderot who gathered on a hill to watch and celebrate Gaza being bombed has gone viral on Twitter, with 8,500 shares and counting. The photo was posted by Danish journalist Allan Sørensen for the newspaper Kristeligt Dagblad on Wednesday.
Sderot cinema. Israelis bringing chairs 2 hilltop in sderot 2 watch latest from Gaza. Clapping when blasts are heard. pic.twitter.com/WYZquV62O7
— Allan Sørensen (@allansorensen72) July 9, 2014
The death toll from Israeli airstrikes has risen to more than 120 Palestinians killed and over 900 injured, according to medical officials. Israeli airstrikes killed nine people on Saturday. The Israeli bombed a center for the disabled in the eastern part of Gaza City where two women were killed, Palestinian medics said. Three militants and four more civilians including a 65-year-old man were killed by air strikes in the coastal part of the city. One of the strikes targeted a mosque which was claimed to have housed Hamas weapons.
A video showing the IDF practicing the firing of a warning shot before destroying a building has been caught on film and uploaded to YouTube.
Amnesty International(AI) has urged the UN to urgently mandate an independent international investigation into Israeli airstrikes on Gaza as well as Palestine’s indiscriminate shelling of Israel. The human rights watchdog urged to hold accountable those responsible for the war crimes.
11 July 2014
The UN has questioned the legality of Israel’s Operation Protective Edge, saying that that Israel must make sure its attacks are proportional, avoid civilian deaths, and identify military versus civilian objects on the ground.
"We have received deeply disturbing reports that many of the civilian casualties, including of children, occurred as a result of strikes on homes. Such reports raise serious doubt about whether the Israeli strikes have been in accordance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay.
Thousands have taken to the streets of London and Oslo to call for an end to Israeli strikes in Gaza.
Two more Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike, raising the death toll to 106, Ma’an news agency reported, citing Palestinian Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra. The two individuals were identified as 47-year-old Hussein al-Mamlok and 80-year-old Saber Sukkar. Three other people were injured in the attack, which targeted the al-Nizar neighborhood in la-Shujaiyya, located in eastern Gaza City.
Daily recap: the fourth day of Operation Protective Edge pic.twitter.com/L1ADa2Eyio
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 11, 2014
Images of terror: The remnants of the home in Beer Sheva which was struck by a rocket from #Gazapic.twitter.com/f9C3cLipO8
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 11, 2014
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Israel has attacked more than 1,000 targets during a four-day offensive against Gaza militants and that "there are still more to go." The expansion of the campaign and a ground operation are not ruled out, and he added: "We are preparing all options." He also said he saw no international pressure on Israel to halt its campaign.
The armed wing of Hamas group has warned they are going to target Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport, 19 km from Tel Aviv's city center, according to a statement by the group. They added they will launch the rockets from the Gaza Strip.
"In the light of Israel's ... attacks on the residents of Gaza Strip ... The armed wing of Hamas has decided to respond to Israeli aggression and we warn you against carrying out flights to Ben Gurion airport, which will be one of our targets today because it also hosts a military air base," the statement said.
Reports from Israel’s Ashdod say a rocket hit at a gas station, causing multiple injuries. At least one person is reportedly in a critical condition. A major rescue operation is underway.
Up-close photos of gas station hit by rocket in Ashdod moments ago. pic.twitter.com/OtEk1N1OyK
— Israel Breaking ✡ (@IsraelBreaking) July 11, 2014
At least two rockets have been fired Friday from Southern Lebanon at Israel, local media and security sources said. Israel responded to the attack with shelling.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the region is a stronghold of the Hezbollah movement, which has been engaged in hostilities with Israel on many occasions.
10 July 2014
Big boom heard in the Marina, #Gaza.
— Harry Fear (@harryfear) July 10, 2014
BREAKING: Rocket siren sounding in Ashkelon area
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 10, 2014
US President Barack Obama has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington is willing to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the White House says.
Speaking to the Israeli leader on Thursday, Obama condemned the rockets fired from Gaza and said that Israel has the right to self-defense. However, he also urged both sides not to escalate the crisis and to restore calm.
"The United States remains prepared to facilitate a cessation of hostilities, including a return to the November 2012 ceasefire agreement," said the statement.
Israeli police say there could have been an infiltration of Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat. Israel Navy vessels stationed offshore from the Princess Hotel in Eilat spotted what they suspected was an attempted incursion from the sea just before midnight on Thursday, Haaretz reports. The beachfront has been evacuated and a highway leading from Eilat to Taba has been closed.
French President Francois Hollande has expressed concern over the worsening crisis in Israel and Gaza, and called for an end to the violence.
"President Hollande expressed his concern regarding the situation in Gaza and regretted that the current military operations had caused numerous Palestinian victims," Hollande’s office said Thursday after he spoke to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas over the phone.
"The safety of all civilian populations must be guaranteed and the escalation must end. Everything must be done to restore the 2012 ceasefire," the statement said.
UPDATE: #Hamas fires 4 rockets from #Gaza to #Jerusalem; 2 hit open areas; 2 intercepted by #IronDome - IDF http://t.co/rZCNuE0nkh
— RT (@RT_com) July 10, 2014
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, called on Israel and Hamas on Thursday to show maximum restraint in Gaza. “Today we are facing a threat of a large-scale escalation of the conflict,” he said at the emergency Security Council meeting.
Military movement in the roads near the #Israeli border w/ #Gaza. Tanks and #IronDome positions seen frequently. pic.twitter.com/be6sFBKGth
— PaulaSlier_RT (@PaulaSlier_RT) July 10, 2014
A senior Israeli official has said that the current offensive aims to “deplete and diminish” Hamas' ability to stage attacks in the long run – even if the Palestinians have been defeated and are prepared to stop launching rockets for the time being.
“It is quite possible that Hamas would agree to an immediate ceasefire — we’re hitting them hard, they want the situation to cool down,” the anonymous official told Times of Israel.
“Today, we’re not interested in a Band-Aid. We don’t want to give Hamas just a timeout to rest, regroup and recharge batteries, and then next week or in two weeks they start again to shoot rockets at Israel. Such a quick-fix solution is not something we’re interested in.”
#IDF kills head of #Hamas' rocket arsenal, highest ranking militant so far in operation
— PaulaSlier_RT (@PaulaSlier_RT) July 10, 2014
A ceasefire with Hamas is not on the agenda, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told members of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
The 1st explosions are from IDF strike. Massive secondary blasts show we hit a weapons cache near Palestinian homes. http://t.co/ZWqR8GNFvS
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 10, 2014
The deaths of eight Palestinians in a Tuesday IDF airstrike on a home presumably used as headquarters by Hamas commander Odeh Kaware were not intentional, the Israeli Air Force said Wednesday.
The eighth members of the Kaware family were killed by a missile as they returned home prematurely. The civilians left home after the Israeli forces warned them on the phone of the imminent airstrike. They apparently thought that the danger was over after seeing a missile without an HE warhead hit their home.
The missile however was meant as a warning shot and was followed by a larger one carrying explosives. The eight Palestinians were killed by the blast, which also injured 25 others, according to a Palestinian count.
Three of the six Jewish suspects in last week's kidnapping and murder of 16-year-old Palestinian youth have been released from police custody by a magistrate’s court on Wednesday, Haaretz reports.
The suspects are members of a radical cell allegedly involved in the killing, but didn't take part in it directly, according to investigators. The suspected ringleader of the crimes, a 30-year-old man from a community near Jerusalem, reportedly confessed to them.
Flares deployed for illumination in the north of #Gaza by #Israel tonight. (Photo: Ibrahem Nabeel) pic.twitter.com/2O3px2pMuX
— Harry Fear (@harryfear) July 10, 2014
09 July 2014
Seven other Palestinians were killed during Israeli airstrikes in southern Gaza, Ma’an news agency reported citing Gaza’s Ministry of Health. Women and children are said to be among the dead. Meanwhile, Hamas claims that ten people were killed.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will give a briefing at the emergency meeting of the Security Council on Thursday around the escalating Israeli-Palestinian violence. "Gaza is on a knife edge," Ban told reporters on Wednesday. "I firmly condemn the multiple rocket attacks launched from Gaza on Israel. Such attacks are unacceptable and must stop."
"I also urged [Israeli] Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu to exercise maximum restraint and to respect international obligations to protect civilians. I condemn the rising number of civilian lives lost in Gaza," he added.
Six protesters were arrested outside the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan. Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the building and tried to storm it, the Jordan Times reported.
Israel intercepted two rockets flying over Kiryat Malachi, Haaretz reported.
In the past 24 hours, 82 rockets hit #Israel. An additional 21 rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 9, 2014
Israeli airstrikes killed another five Palestinians on Wednesday evening, bringing the total death toll to 53 people, Ma’an news agency quoted medical officials as saying. Over 450 Palestinians have been injured in the past two days.
Israel's army expects a second infiltration attempt from Gaza in two days, Haaretz reported.
There are reports that a Palestinian journalist has been killed after an Israeli airstrike hit a press vehicle in the Gaza Strip. Several others were reportedly injured.
#Israel just struck a press-marked vehicle 50m from my current location. Preliminary reports: occupants were Al Quds TV.
— Harry Fear (@harryfear) July 9, 2014
#Gaza is indeed a very scary place to be right now. #GazaUnderAttack (My photo, taken just over an hour ago.) pic.twitter.com/BmdzPLEZNl
— Harry Fear (@harryfear) July 9, 2014
Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal has laid down two conditions his organization demands to be fulfilled if Tel-Aviv wants Palestinians to stop firing rockets at Israel.
“[PM] Netanyahu must stop the war against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as change policies towards the settlements [in the occupied territories] and detained [Palestinian] persons,” Mashaal announced in a live address on Palestinian TV channel.
The leader of Hamas called on to the Palestinian militants in Gaza to take responsibility for the attacks and addressed the Palestinian authorities in the West Bank to stand by their people.
“We’re in one trench and the enemy makes no difference between us,” Mashaal stressed.
The United States on Wednesday urged Israel and the Palestinians to de-escalate the Gaza tensions and expressed concern for the safety of civilians on both sides as Israeli pressed a campaign of air strikes and militants kept up rocket fire at Israel's heartland.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told a briefing that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had spoken earlier in the day with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and planned to speak with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Psaki said U.S. officials have been "encouraging all sides to de-escalate the situation," restore calm and take steps to protect civilians.
"We are concerned about the safety and security of civilians on both sides," she said, referring to "the residents of southern Israel who are forced to live under rocket fire in their homes and the civilians in Gaza." (Reuters)
The Iron Dome defense system has intercepted one of three rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, the IDF said. Two fell in open areas.
Islamist militants in the Gaza Strip launched three rockets towards the southern Israeli town of Dimona and its nuclear reactor on Wednesday, causing no injury or damage, the Israeli military said.
One of the rockets was intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome defensive shield, and two others fell in open areas. None caused damage or injuries, an army spokesman said.
Militants from Hamas's Qassam Brigades said they had launched long-range M-75 rockets.
Other areas in southern Israel's Negev desert were also targeted, according to the Israeli military. (Reuters)
Police pic: House hit by a rocket in the Lachish area #Israel#Jpostpic.twitter.com/NGOLIfbPYK
— Ben Hartman (@Benhartman) July 9, 2014
The escalation of the conflict in the Gaza Strip has forced the US to shut their embassy in Tel-Aviv for one day. According to a notice published on the embassy’s website, “due to the current security situation” the US Embassy in Tel Aviv will be closed for routine services on Thursday, July 10.
"Emergency cases will be considered on a case by case basis,” the notice says, providing two emails for emergency requests. Such requests will be responded to as soon as possible, embassy staff promised.
The president of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas has accused Israel of committing "genocide against Palestinian people" in the Gaza Strip after the Israeli military campaign “Protective Edge” killed 43 locals, including small children and women.
“It is genocide. Killing of entire families is Israeli genocide against Palestinian people,” Abbas said, speaking from his residence in Ramallah on the West Bank.
VIDEO: Iron Dome intercepts rocket over Israeli wedding http://t.co/V1Ooh4QWLZ#Israel#Gaza
— RT (@RT_com) July 9, 2014
#IDF confirmed 2 #rockets fell in open areas of the Hof HaCarmel Regional Council south of #Haifa
— PaulaSlier_RT (@PaulaSlier_RT) July 9, 2014
A rocket siren sounded in the Israeli town of Zichron Yaakov in the Haifa District, which is about 120km from Gaza, an IDF spokesperson posted on Twitter.
The Iron Dome anti-missile system has intercepted at least two rockets fired from Gaza Strip at the Tel Aviv area. No casualties have been reported.
Residents of the buildings targeted by Israeli Air Force for strikes have tried to avert the attacks by going up the roofs en masse, the IAF said. Such ploys will not be effective, it added.
The Israeli military has hit 160 targets in the Gaza Strip overnight, reports Haaretz newspaper.
Egypt will open up the Rafah border crossing to accept injured Palestinians on Wednesday, The Times of Israel reported. A number of Gaza residents will be let in to receive medical attention. Egypt has yet to specify the number of individuals that will be allowed in or when the border crossing will open.
The EU condemned Gaza and Israel for escalating the violence, calling for a ceasefire. The EU "strongly condemns the indiscriminate fire into Israel by militant groups in the Gaza Strip,” EU foreign police chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement.
At the same time, the statement denounced Israel’s airstrikes, which are leading to a "growing number of civilian casualties, reportedly among them children, caused by Israeli retaliatory fire.”
EU called on both parties to "to do their utmost to achieve an immediate ceasefire."
The 2nd day of Operation Protective Edge has began. The #IDF remains determined to fight #Hamas terror on all fronts pic.twitter.com/4RBUFKpwlL
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 9, 2014
The US embassy in Tel Aviv will operate under minimal staffing due to the latest escalation of violence, Haaretz reported.
08 July 2014
Gaza rockets interrupted an Israeli wedding in Ashdon as they exploded in the sky, according to a video posted by IDF. Ashdon is in Israel's Southern District.
A top leader of Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades, Hafiz Hamad, was killed in northern Gaza following Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday morning. Five other militants were also killed during the strikes.
One of the airstrikes targeted the leader’s house, Palestinian Ma’an news agency reported.
Two separate airstrikes hit Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, killing two Palestinians.
Crew members of Turkey's Pegasus Airlines have refused to fly to Tel Aviv because of security concerns, causing 100 Israeli passengers to be stranded at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport, Channel 2 reported.
“They told us that the Turkish crew refused to fly to Israel because of the situation, and this is while Turkish Airlines flights to Tel Aviv are taking off as usual,” Amit, a passenger of Flight 779 from Istanbul to Tel Aviv, said.
The airport announced that the flight was delayed until 6 a.m. Wednesday morning.
› No other country lives under such a threat. Israel will not tolerate the firing of rockets on our cities and towns.›
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) July 8, 2014
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had a telephone conversation with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The two leaders discussed the escalation of violence in Gaza, according to Israel Radio.
A Gaza Ministry of Health spokesperson confirmed that a total of 23 Palestinians have been killed and another 122 injured in Israeli airstrikes.
A Gaza rocket hit the Israeli city of Hadera, IDF has confirmed.
We can now confirm that a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit the city of Hadera, which is 100 km (62 miles) away from Gaza
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 8, 2014
IDF says 117 rockets struck Israel in the past 24 hours and an additional 29 were intercepted by the Iron Dome.
Six Palestinians died in Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday evening, bringing the total death toll to 17 people, Ma’an news agency reported.
WATCH: Earlier today, Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel from the sea near Zikim. We neutralized them. http://t.co/8GyazKECho
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 8, 2014
Sounds of explosions are heard in Beit Lahiya and Jabalya, according to media reports.
There are reports of several explosions in the skies over Israel’s Sharon area, located north of Tel Aviv. Local residents reported hearing a large explosion in the city itself, according to The Times of Israel.
IDF broadcasted a radio message in Arabic, warning Gaza Strip residents to keep away from militants.
“For your safety, get away from Hamas and their hiding places. Don’t go near them. They’re endangering your lives. For your safety, don’t let them near your homes, don’t let them hide in your homes,” The Times of Israel quoted the army’s Arabic-language radio message as saying.
The Iron Dome missile defense system has intercepted a rocket over Rishon Leziyon, Israel’s fourth-largest city, the Times of Israel reports.
BREAKING PHOTO: Rocket fired from Gaza hit direct home in Ashdod, in underground parking lot causing damages. pic.twitter.com/98BSXzB7MI
— Israel News Feed (@IsraelHatzolah) July 8, 2014
The Mateh Yehuda Regional Council, located in the Jerusalem district, has reported several hits, including one in the town. No injuries have been reported.
Hamas claims that it fired several rockets at Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa today.
“For the first time, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades strike Haifa with an R-160 rocket, and strike occupied Jerusalem with four M-75 rockets and Tel Aviv with four M-75 rockets,” reads a statement by the group.
Confirmed: A rocket fired from Gaza hit Jerusalem, Israel’s capital city
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 8, 2014
PHOTO: #IronDome launcher fires rocket in Ashdod, #Israel to intercept #Hamas rocket http://t.co/SmbugnUtS2pic.twitter.com/mkmDad1aaM
— RT (@RT_com) July 8, 2014
In response to constant rocket fire, #IDF hit 50 terror targets today making a total of 200 since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 8, 2014
Hamas has stated that it directed rockets towards Haifa, in northern Israel, in what has been the deepest attack of its kind from the Gaza Strip, reported Reuters.
Witnesses told Reuters they heard “thuds” deemed to be explosions from rocket fire as air raid sirens sounded through Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and the northern town of Binyamina.
Update: #IronDome intercepted the #Hamas rocket fired at Tel Aviv
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 8, 2014
Israel’s security cabinet voted in favor of calling up 40,000 army reservists as the situation escalatedthe extra personnel as part of a potential “ground operation.”
“The army is preparing for all possible scenarios, including an invasion or a ground operation,” an anonymous official told the AFP agency.
The Israeli Security Cabinet is holding a meeting in Tel Aviv to discuss the ongoing Gaza-Israel conflict and decide on further actions.
IDF claims to have struck senior Hamas terrorist Muhammad Sha'aban with rocket fire that was launched in response to a similar attack on Israel.
Since Monday night, Hamas has fired over 100 rockets at Israeli civilians, IDF said on Twitter.