Hamas fired ten rockets at Israel on Sunday night in what has been described as the largest barrage in recent months, prompting a strong warning from the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) of a “severe” response.
The attack followed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s order to redeploy Israeli forces into territories in Gaza that had been vacated recently.
The IDF said five of the ten rockets were intercepted by Israel’s air defences. However, one rocket struck Ashkelon, damaging infrastructure. A 30-year-old man sustained shrapnel injuries and was admitted to Barzilai Hospital. Two others were injured while running to bomb shelters, according to Magen David Adom emergency services, while several residents were treated for acute anxiety.
The rockets were launched around 9 p.m. from Deir al-Balah, a central Gaza locality where the IDF has not been active in recent days. The coastal cities of Ashkelon and Ashdod were the primary targets.
Also read: Israeli airstrikes kill 32, mostly women and children
Hamas has claimed responsibility for the strike, describing it as retaliation against Israel’s ongoing operations across northern and southern Gaza. Defence Minister Israel Katz, after a conversation with Netanyahu — who is en route to the United States — declared that Hamas would “pay a heavy price”. He said he had instructed the IDF to expand its renewed offensive.
IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, Col. Avichay Adraee, issued a final evacuation warning for civilians in Deir al-Balah ahead of expected Israeli strikes in the area. Shortly afterwards, the IDF reported it had conducted a drone strike on the launcher responsible for the barrage.
Meanwhile, civilians in Gaza continue to suffer under Israel’s protracted aerial assault. The Gaza Health Ministry reported 50,695 confirmed Palestinian deaths and 115,338 wounded since the onset of the war. The Government Media Office has revised its toll upwards to over 61,700, accounting for those presumed dead beneath the rubble.
The conflict began after the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on Israel, which killed 1,139 people and saw over 200 taken hostage.
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