Gaza has been largely quiet since Israel’s three-day offensive in August, however occasions within the West Financial institution have led to tensions.
Gaza Metropolis – Israeli fighter jets have launched a number of air assaults within the blockaded Gaza Strip, resulting in an influence outage in some areas, in response to native sources.
Among the many essential targets of Friday’s strikes have been websites utilized by Palestinian armed resistance factions within the Maghazi refugee camp, in central Gaza, mentioned Hamas, the group that runs the territory.
An Israeli military spokesman mentioned that warplanes had attacked a Hamas website within the central Gaza Strip, indicating that the assault got here in response to the launching of rockets from Gaza in direction of Israel – the primary rockets launched since Israel’s three-day navy offensive within the territory.
Earlier within the evening, 4 rockets have been fired from Gaza, three of which didn’t attain Israeli territory, whereas one rocket was intercepted by air defence programs, the Israeli navy mentioned.
No Palestinian faction claimed the rocket assaults.
“The barbaric Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip at daybreak as we speak is a blatant act of aggression, and represents an extension of its open struggle towards our folks in all of the locations we exist,” mentioned Hazem Qasem, a spokesman for Hamas.
“Israeli bombing will solely make Palestinians extra decided to withstand the occupation and step up their help for Jerusalem and its folks,” Qasem added.
Israeli stories mentioned that the rocket launches from Gaza have been in response to the Israeli military’s killing on Thursday, of the Islamic Jihad member Farouk Salameh within the occupied West Financial institution metropolis of Jenin.
The exchanges come after practically a month of lethal violence within the occupied West Financial institution that has escalated amid close to each day Israeli raids, notably in Nablus and Jenin.
Salameh was one among 4 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces on Thursday in separate incidents within the occupied West Financial institution and occupied East Jerusalem.
The violence flared as Benjamin Netanyahu emerged because the victor of Israel’s parliamentary elections, held earlier this week.
Gaza has been largely quiet for the reason that preventing in August, which started when Israel launched air raids in what it mentioned have been preemptive assaults concentrating on the Islamic Jihad group.
For the reason that starting of this 12 months, no less than 160 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces within the illegally occupied West Financial institution and Gaza Strip, together with 51 Palestinians killed throughout Israel’s three-day assault on Gaza in August, in response to the Palestinian well being ministry.
Israel and Hamas, which governs Gaza, have fought 4 wars and engaged in a number of smaller skirmishes through the previous 15 years.
A decent blockade has been maintained by Israel and Egypt on Gaza for 14 years, and critics have mentioned the coverage quantities to the collective punishment of the area’s two million Palestinian residents.