The violence between militant Palestinians and Israel is rocketing dangerously high again. The death toll is increasing.
Only a few hours people were able to breathe deeply on the Israeli side of the Gaza border in the morning – then the air-raid sirens howled again. Missiles were fired from the Gaza Strip in the afternoon, including larger cities like Ashdod and Beersheba.
In Ashkelon, just a few miles from the Gaza Strip, a rocket struck a factory site. Two workers who had not made it into the bunker fast enough died. Last night, an Israeli was fatally injured when a rocket hit his home. In Ashkelon, a hospital was also damaged by rocket fragments.
Especially in the towns near the 60-kilometer-long Gaza border, people are living in constant fear and many want a crackdown by the government led by Benjamin Netanyahu against Hamas and other armed groups in the Gaza Strip. This resident of Kibbutz Nahal Oz, who lies right on the border, said on Israeli army radio.
„I have a message for Netanyahu: In the election campaign he flooded Facebook with news, most people in the south voted for him, and now I ask,“ Where is the leadership? „Even though he has no solution to this conflict, he must at least present himself put the people and the cameras and have positive messages for their constituents. “
Strongest Shelling of Israel since Gaza War 2014
Hundreds of rockets were fired at Israeli locations within a day and a half. It is the strongest shelling since the end of the Gaza war in 2014. The Israeli army responded by attacking targets in the coastal strip. Among other things, according to army information, underground rocket workshops were bombed. Military spokesman Ronen Manelis:
„We’re targeting attack infrastructure, including an attack tunnel that Hamas dug into Israeli territory, which we’ve been tracking for months, and attacked several homes that had weapons stored in it.“
High-ranking Hamas member killed
Among other things, the Israeli Air Force bombarded a car, killing a high-ranking member of the Hamas military arm. The Israeli army said that the man was responsible for funding terrorist attacks and had channeled money from Iran to the armed groups in the Gaza Strip.
In total, Israeli attacks killed at least ten Palestinians, including several members of Hamas and Islamic jihad. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu announced a continuation of the attacks.
„This morning I ordered the army to take massive blows against the terrorists in the Gaza Strip, and I also ordered that the units in the region be reinforced by tanks, artillery and infantry, Hamas is for their own actions and those of the Islamic Jihad responsible and will pay a very high price. “
An end to the escalation is currently not in sight. Also in the late afternoon rocket alarm was triggered again. The United Nations called both sides to restrain. The current escalation could also have an impact on the final of the Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place in Tel Aviv the weekend after next.
