On Saturday, Israel and Gaza militants exchanged missile attacks for the second day in a row, following Israeli airstrikes that killed at least 24 people, including the leader of a Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, and injured more than 200 others. The Palestinian authorities said on Sunday that the second round of fighting killed at least eight people, including six children, near the Jabalya refugee camp, and blamed the deaths on Israeli forces.
The Israeli military, on the other hand, denied responsibility, claiming that the explosion was caused by a failed Islamic Jihad rocket launch, one-third of which failed to clear the enclave’s boundaries, according to the Washington Post. ‘ We have concrete evidence that it was their rocket,’ Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Lt. Col. Richard Hecht was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, officials report that no significant injuries have been reported as a result of the rocket fire aimed at Israel, as thousands of residents in southern and central Israel have sought refuge in safe rooms or community air raid bunkers. There have been reports of civilians being injured while fleeing for cover, as well as two IDF soldiers receiving shrapnel wounds. Numerous brush fires have also been reported in areas where rockets have fallen.
Since Saturday, Israel has continued to pound the Gaza Strip, with militants retaliating in kind. While the Israeli military claims to be targeting weapons depots hidden in residential areas and destroying a number of houses, Islamic Jihad has been firing rockets at Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial centre.
Militants fired more than 449 rockets toward Israel in retaliation overnight and through Saturday, according to the Israeli military. The Iron Dome air-defense network intercepted about 95 percent of the rockets, with 81 of the launches falling short and landing in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Egypt has been holding intensive talks to try to alleviate the situation, according to Reuters. An Egyptian intelligence delegation led by Major General Ahmed Abdelkhaliq arrived in Israel on Saturday and will later travel to Gaza for talks. According to Reuters, the delegation was hoping to broker a one-day ceasefire in order to carry out the talks.
Post Your Comments