Israel hits at Gaza in revenge for rocket fire
Israeli warplanes struck the Gaza Strip yesterday after the first rocket fire from the Palestinian territory in weeks hit an Israeli city, in a blow to efforts to avert a new war.
Gaza’s Islamist ruler Hamas disavowed the rocket fire, saying they rejected “all irresponsible attempts” to undermine Egyptian efforts to broker a new long-term truce.
But Israel, which holds Hamas responsible for all rocket fire from the territory regardless of who launches it, struck 20 targets in Gaza, killing one Palestinian, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Israel also closed both its border crossings with Gaza in reprisal, further isolating the blockaded enclave where deteriorating living conditions have stoked violent protests along the border.
Gaza militants fired two rockets before dawn, one of which caused major damage to a family home in the southern city of Beersheba, 40 kilometers away, the Israeli army said. The family of three children narrowly escaped injury after their mother moved them into the safe room, with much of the rest of the house destroyed.
“At 4am, Israelis in the city of Beersheba were running to bomb shelters after a rocket was launched from the Gaza Strip at Israel,” the army tweeted.
The other rocket came down in the sea off Tel Aviv, 70 kilometers from Gaza, the army said. Speaking after meeting with senior security officials, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged a forceful response.
“Israel views with utmost gravity the attacks against it on the fence, on the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip, on Beersheba — everywhere,” he said.
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