13 mar 2014
Islamic Jihad movement leader Khaled al-Batesh said that following intensive Egyptian contacts and efforts, the calm agreement has been restored in Gaza Strip in accordance with understandings reached in 2012 in Cairo. Batesh said on Thursday afternoon on his Facebook page that after Egyptian strenuous efforts the ceasefire has been reinstated, and that the Islamic Jihad movement would hold its fire as long as Israel did the same.
For his part, the movement spokesman Daoud Shihab stressed that his movement was not concerned with the escalation and that the Israeli occupation forces have violated the calm agreement reached with Egyptian mediation in November 2012 more than 1,400 times.
Hebrew sources said that - until this moment - there was no Israeli official confirmation that the truce agreement with Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip has been restored.
The Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, fired dozens of rockets at Israeli targets on Wednesday after Israeli soldiers killed three of its fighters a day earlier in an air raid.
The armed wing called its retaliation “breaking the silence”, adding that the firing of those rockets was in reprisal to the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
For his part, the movement spokesman Daoud Shihab stressed that his movement was not concerned with the escalation and that the Israeli occupation forces have violated the calm agreement reached with Egyptian mediation in November 2012 more than 1,400 times.
Hebrew sources said that - until this moment - there was no Israeli official confirmation that the truce agreement with Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip has been restored.
The Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, fired dozens of rockets at Israeli targets on Wednesday after Israeli soldiers killed three of its fighters a day earlier in an air raid.
The armed wing called its retaliation “breaking the silence”, adding that the firing of those rockets was in reprisal to the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Egypt communicated with Islamic Jihad directly to broker the most recent truce with Israel and intentionally ignored Hamas, a leader for the movement as well as an Egyptian security official said on Thursday.
The decision to coordinate directly with Islamic Jihad, the militant group that launched the vast majority of Wednesday's rocket barrage on Israel, and not with Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, highlights the continuing tension between Egypt's military and the party.
Hamas leader Ghazi Hamad told al-Mayadeen channel that the group was "not informed by Egypt about any agreement, and the Egyptian side should have coordinated with Hamas."
An Egyptian official who spoke on the condition of anonymity confirmed to Ma'an that Egyptian national security services contacted Israel and the Islamic Jihad, but not Hamas, in order to negotiate the re-activation of the 2012 ceasefire.
He said that Egypt intentionally avoided Hamas for the first time, as they preferred to contact the Islamic Jihad directly for "their good relations and understanding."
The official said that the reason for this avoidance is because Egypt is still provoked by "Hamas' attitude towards Egypt, Hamas' interference in internal Egyptian affairs and support for violence in the Sinai."
On March 4, an Egyptian court banned the activities of Hamas and ordered its assets seized. Hamas officials, however, denounced the move which they called "political" and "serving the Israeli occupation."
Ties between Cairo and Hamas flourished during president Mohamed Morsi's year in power but have drastically deteriorated since a military coup in July last year which saw the Muslim Brotherhood leader ousted from power.
Cairo's new military-installed authorities launched a deadly crackdown on protests by supporters of Morsi, killing in excess of 1,400 people.
Egyptian troops have also destroyed hundreds of smuggling tunnels under the border with Gaza used to supply the Palestinian enclave with fuel and construction materials due to Israeli restrictions.
Hamas has denied accusations by Egyptian officials that it is involved in fighting in the Sinai Peninsula, where militant attacks on security forces have surged since July.
The decision to coordinate directly with Islamic Jihad, the militant group that launched the vast majority of Wednesday's rocket barrage on Israel, and not with Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, highlights the continuing tension between Egypt's military and the party.
Hamas leader Ghazi Hamad told al-Mayadeen channel that the group was "not informed by Egypt about any agreement, and the Egyptian side should have coordinated with Hamas."
An Egyptian official who spoke on the condition of anonymity confirmed to Ma'an that Egyptian national security services contacted Israel and the Islamic Jihad, but not Hamas, in order to negotiate the re-activation of the 2012 ceasefire.
He said that Egypt intentionally avoided Hamas for the first time, as they preferred to contact the Islamic Jihad directly for "their good relations and understanding."
The official said that the reason for this avoidance is because Egypt is still provoked by "Hamas' attitude towards Egypt, Hamas' interference in internal Egyptian affairs and support for violence in the Sinai."
On March 4, an Egyptian court banned the activities of Hamas and ordered its assets seized. Hamas officials, however, denounced the move which they called "political" and "serving the Israeli occupation."
Ties between Cairo and Hamas flourished during president Mohamed Morsi's year in power but have drastically deteriorated since a military coup in July last year which saw the Muslim Brotherhood leader ousted from power.
Cairo's new military-installed authorities launched a deadly crackdown on protests by supporters of Morsi, killing in excess of 1,400 people.
Egyptian troops have also destroyed hundreds of smuggling tunnels under the border with Gaza used to supply the Palestinian enclave with fuel and construction materials due to Israeli restrictions.
Hamas has denied accusations by Egyptian officials that it is involved in fighting in the Sinai Peninsula, where militant attacks on security forces have surged since July.
Smoke rises following an Israeli air strike in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on March 13, 2014
Six rockets from Gaza struck southern Israel on Thursday evening after the ceasefire, according to an Israeli military spokesman, causing no damage but putting into danger an already tenuous cessation of hostilities.
Three rockets struck "open areas" around 8 p.m. across the south and caused no casualties, according to an Israeli military spokesperson, while two rockets were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome missile-protection system.
The attacks follow an earlier rocket attack around 5:30 p.m, which also hit an open area.
Israeli military sources earlier denied that a new ceasefire had been put in place but said that "calm will be answered with calm" according to an Israeli media report, echoing statements from top officials in Islamic Jihad earlier Thursday.
Israeli news website Ynet reported that an unnamed Israeli security source said that no new ceasefire agreement had been reached, but that Israeli forces would not launch any unprovoked attacks, in keeping with the terms of the 2012 ceasefire.
Despite this, earlier in the day Israeli armed forces called up its air force reserves, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.
The decision to call the reserves was made by Israeli defense minister Moshe Ya'alon in the cabinet. According to a military source, calling up reserves requires the approval of the Knesset security and foreign committee, and a waiting period of 48 hours, the report said.
Senior Islamic Jihad official Khalid al-Batsh earlier on Thursday had said that his movement would adhere to the calm "on condition that the occupation adheres."
The rocket comes after Egyptian intervention allowed the re-activation of a truce between Gaza militants and Israel, after Israeli air forces bombarded more than 30 targets across the Gaza Strip overnight and on Thursday morning.
The bombardment, which injured three Palestinians, came in response to the firing of dozens of rockets by Islamic Jihad on Wednesday, which themselves were a response by the group to Israel's killing of seven Palestinians -- including three of the groups' members -- in separate incidents earlier in the week.
A major eight-day confrontation in November 2012 between Israel and militants from Gaza claimed the lives of 177 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and six Israelis.
'Resistance is the right of the Palestinian people'
On Wednesday, spokesman for the Gaza Strip government Ihab al-Ghussein said that Israel is "responsible for any escalation," warning of the "consequences of any escalation" and reiterating that "resistance is the right of the Palestinian people to defend itself."
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, however, blamed both Islamic Jihad and Hamas, saying the latter was responsible for any fire emanating from its territory.
"Hamas is responsible for the Strip and if it does not know how to prevent fire on Israel from its territory, we will act against it and all of its broader interests," Yaalon said.
"Anyone involved in firing on Israel will be taking his life in his own hands."
Hamas is in control of the Gaza Strip government and maintains a fragile ceasefire with Israel, but other groups occasionally launch attacks.
Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire in the last year by launching attacks into the Strip and opening fire on civilians near the border, and militant groups often respond with rocket fire, which mostly falls in open areas.
Israel has also maintained a severe economic blockade on the Gaza Strip's 1.5 million residents since 2006.
The blockade has severely limited the imports and exports of the Gaza Strip and has led to frequent humanitarian crises and hardship for Gazans.
Six rockets from Gaza struck southern Israel on Thursday evening after the ceasefire, according to an Israeli military spokesman, causing no damage but putting into danger an already tenuous cessation of hostilities.
Three rockets struck "open areas" around 8 p.m. across the south and caused no casualties, according to an Israeli military spokesperson, while two rockets were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome missile-protection system.
The attacks follow an earlier rocket attack around 5:30 p.m, which also hit an open area.
Israeli military sources earlier denied that a new ceasefire had been put in place but said that "calm will be answered with calm" according to an Israeli media report, echoing statements from top officials in Islamic Jihad earlier Thursday.
Israeli news website Ynet reported that an unnamed Israeli security source said that no new ceasefire agreement had been reached, but that Israeli forces would not launch any unprovoked attacks, in keeping with the terms of the 2012 ceasefire.
Despite this, earlier in the day Israeli armed forces called up its air force reserves, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.
The decision to call the reserves was made by Israeli defense minister Moshe Ya'alon in the cabinet. According to a military source, calling up reserves requires the approval of the Knesset security and foreign committee, and a waiting period of 48 hours, the report said.
Senior Islamic Jihad official Khalid al-Batsh earlier on Thursday had said that his movement would adhere to the calm "on condition that the occupation adheres."
The rocket comes after Egyptian intervention allowed the re-activation of a truce between Gaza militants and Israel, after Israeli air forces bombarded more than 30 targets across the Gaza Strip overnight and on Thursday morning.
The bombardment, which injured three Palestinians, came in response to the firing of dozens of rockets by Islamic Jihad on Wednesday, which themselves were a response by the group to Israel's killing of seven Palestinians -- including three of the groups' members -- in separate incidents earlier in the week.
A major eight-day confrontation in November 2012 between Israel and militants from Gaza claimed the lives of 177 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and six Israelis.
'Resistance is the right of the Palestinian people'
On Wednesday, spokesman for the Gaza Strip government Ihab al-Ghussein said that Israel is "responsible for any escalation," warning of the "consequences of any escalation" and reiterating that "resistance is the right of the Palestinian people to defend itself."
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, however, blamed both Islamic Jihad and Hamas, saying the latter was responsible for any fire emanating from its territory.
"Hamas is responsible for the Strip and if it does not know how to prevent fire on Israel from its territory, we will act against it and all of its broader interests," Yaalon said.
"Anyone involved in firing on Israel will be taking his life in his own hands."
Hamas is in control of the Gaza Strip government and maintains a fragile ceasefire with Israel, but other groups occasionally launch attacks.
Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire in the last year by launching attacks into the Strip and opening fire on civilians near the border, and militant groups often respond with rocket fire, which mostly falls in open areas.
Israel has also maintained a severe economic blockade on the Gaza Strip's 1.5 million residents since 2006.
The blockade has severely limited the imports and exports of the Gaza Strip and has led to frequent humanitarian crises and hardship for Gazans.
An-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees in the Gaza Strip, will fight alongside Islamic Jihad's military wing to defend the Palestinian people, the group's spokesperson said on Thursday.
Spokesman Abu Mujahid said in a statement that "the assassination of al-Quds Brigades' fighters was a dangerous escalation which the Israeli occupation started."
Abu Mujahid pointed out that his fighters "are ready to face any aggression by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people."
The Popular Resistance Committees is a Gaza-based militant group that opposes negotiations with Israel, and has no connection to the local popular resistance committees against the separation wall that exist throughout the West Bank.
The statement from the group came after Israeli forces launched air strikes against more than 30 targets over night and early Thursday, after the al-Quds Brigades launched dozens of rockets into Israel on Wednesday in response to the killing of three of its members Tuesday.
Three Palestinians were injured in the Israeli attacks.
Following the airstrikes on Thursday, senior Islamic Jihad officials said that the 2012 ceasefire with Israel had been reactivated following Egyptian intervention.
Spokesman Abu Mujahid said in a statement that "the assassination of al-Quds Brigades' fighters was a dangerous escalation which the Israeli occupation started."
Abu Mujahid pointed out that his fighters "are ready to face any aggression by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people."
The Popular Resistance Committees is a Gaza-based militant group that opposes negotiations with Israel, and has no connection to the local popular resistance committees against the separation wall that exist throughout the West Bank.
The statement from the group came after Israeli forces launched air strikes against more than 30 targets over night and early Thursday, after the al-Quds Brigades launched dozens of rockets into Israel on Wednesday in response to the killing of three of its members Tuesday.
Three Palestinians were injured in the Israeli attacks.
Following the airstrikes on Thursday, senior Islamic Jihad officials said that the 2012 ceasefire with Israel had been reactivated following Egyptian intervention.
Hamas movement and the Palestinian government in Gaza held the Israeli occupation full responsibility for the current escalation, stressing that the Palestinian people has the right to defend itself. Hamas spokesman Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri in a statement on Wednesday evening said that the occupation has been breaching the truce agreement through its daily crimes, the latest of which was the killing of six citizens in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and emphasized the Palestinian people's right to defend itself.
Abu Zuhri called on the Arab states to put pressure on the occupation to stop its aggressive practices, and asked the Arab countries to halt the defamation campaign against the resistance.
The movement spokesman Fawzi Barhoum also held the Israeli government responsible for the deterioration of the situation, due to the series of abuses and assassinations it has been committing against the Palestinians, and warned of the consequences of committing new follies against the people in the Strip.
He called on the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation to immediately intervene to stop the deterioration of the situation in Gaza and halt any aggression against its residents.
For its part, the Palestinian government in Gaza emphasized the resistance's right to defend its people, holding the occupation responsible for the repercussions of any escalation against the citizens in the Gaza Strip.
The government spokesman Ihab Ghussein said in a statement on his Facebook page on Wednesday evening that the Arab countries' preoccupation with their internal affairs encouraged the Israeli occupation to commit more crimes against the Palestinian people.
He stressed that Israel is trying to impose a new policy on the ground, and warned of the repercussions of the violation of the truce agreement.
Ghussain also urged the Arab and Islamic countries and the international community to put pressure on the occupation to stop its aggression against the Palestinians.
For his part, Taher al-Nunu, media advisor to the prime minister in Gaza, said: "The enemy has been trying to exploit some changes (in the region) in order to impose new equations enabling it to compensate for its loss in the Battle of the Shale Stone, by tightening the siege and targeting the citizens in the West Bank and Gaza."
Meanwhile, the Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, has started since Wednesday afternoon firing dozens of rockets toward Israeli border sites and areas within the western Negev in the 1948 occupied territories, as part of its response to the recent escalation by the Israeli forces that killed 10 Palestinians in 24 hours.
Bardawil: Palestinian resistance will not stand idle before Israeli aggression
Senior official in Hamas movement Salah Bardawil has strongly condemned Israeli recent escalation against Gaza Strip, saying that it came as part of Israeli continued violations to the calm agreement reached between Palestinian factions and Israeli authorities under Egyptian mediation. In a press statement issued on Thursday, he said that Palestinians will not stand idle before the Israeli continued escalation against Gaza Strip.
The Israeli recent escalation on Gaza Strip came as part of the Israeli arrogance and an attempt to test and drain Palestinian resistance's strength, he added.
He held the occupation fully responsible for the recent escalation on Gaza, recalling that the truce agreement signed in November includes a halt to Israeli assassinations.
He ruled out any Israeli plan to re-occupy Gaza because it will cost the occupation heavy military, economic, and political losses, especially that its forces will face brave men who are trained in urban warfare.
Bardawil urged the Palestinian people to unite their forces in face of Israeli occupation, calling on the PA to stop its security coordination with occupation forces.
He also called for an end to the ongoing media incitement against Hamas movement and Palestinian resistance that exceeded Egyptian and PA media outlets to reach Tunisia and Algeria, charging that some PA officials are leading this media campaign.
Abu Zuhri called on the Arab states to put pressure on the occupation to stop its aggressive practices, and asked the Arab countries to halt the defamation campaign against the resistance.
The movement spokesman Fawzi Barhoum also held the Israeli government responsible for the deterioration of the situation, due to the series of abuses and assassinations it has been committing against the Palestinians, and warned of the consequences of committing new follies against the people in the Strip.
He called on the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation to immediately intervene to stop the deterioration of the situation in Gaza and halt any aggression against its residents.
For its part, the Palestinian government in Gaza emphasized the resistance's right to defend its people, holding the occupation responsible for the repercussions of any escalation against the citizens in the Gaza Strip.
The government spokesman Ihab Ghussein said in a statement on his Facebook page on Wednesday evening that the Arab countries' preoccupation with their internal affairs encouraged the Israeli occupation to commit more crimes against the Palestinian people.
He stressed that Israel is trying to impose a new policy on the ground, and warned of the repercussions of the violation of the truce agreement.
Ghussain also urged the Arab and Islamic countries and the international community to put pressure on the occupation to stop its aggression against the Palestinians.
For his part, Taher al-Nunu, media advisor to the prime minister in Gaza, said: "The enemy has been trying to exploit some changes (in the region) in order to impose new equations enabling it to compensate for its loss in the Battle of the Shale Stone, by tightening the siege and targeting the citizens in the West Bank and Gaza."
Meanwhile, the Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, has started since Wednesday afternoon firing dozens of rockets toward Israeli border sites and areas within the western Negev in the 1948 occupied territories, as part of its response to the recent escalation by the Israeli forces that killed 10 Palestinians in 24 hours.
Bardawil: Palestinian resistance will not stand idle before Israeli aggression
Senior official in Hamas movement Salah Bardawil has strongly condemned Israeli recent escalation against Gaza Strip, saying that it came as part of Israeli continued violations to the calm agreement reached between Palestinian factions and Israeli authorities under Egyptian mediation. In a press statement issued on Thursday, he said that Palestinians will not stand idle before the Israeli continued escalation against Gaza Strip.
The Israeli recent escalation on Gaza Strip came as part of the Israeli arrogance and an attempt to test and drain Palestinian resistance's strength, he added.
He held the occupation fully responsible for the recent escalation on Gaza, recalling that the truce agreement signed in November includes a halt to Israeli assassinations.
He ruled out any Israeli plan to re-occupy Gaza because it will cost the occupation heavy military, economic, and political losses, especially that its forces will face brave men who are trained in urban warfare.
Bardawil urged the Palestinian people to unite their forces in face of Israeli occupation, calling on the PA to stop its security coordination with occupation forces.
He also called for an end to the ongoing media incitement against Hamas movement and Palestinian resistance that exceeded Egyptian and PA media outlets to reach Tunisia and Algeria, charging that some PA officials are leading this media campaign.
A senior Islamic Jihad official said Thursday that Egypt had managed to reactivate a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip.
Khalid al-Batsh highlighted that his movement would adhere with the ceasefire "on condition that the occupation adheres."
"After prompt Egyptian efforts, the terms of the 2012 ceasefire were reactivated Thursday."
A major eight-day confrontation in November 2012 between Israel and militants from Gaza claimed the lives of 177 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and six Israelis.
Before the announcement Thursday, Israeli warplanes struck several targets in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, security and medical sources told Ma’an.
Locals in Rafah told Ma’an that airstrikes targeted a smuggling tunnel under the borders with Egypt. Three Palestinians were injured in the strike.
Israeli jets also fired missiles at an open area in Rafah. No casualties were reported.
A spokesman of the Hamas-run ministry of health in Gaza Ashraf al-Qidra told Ma'an that three Palestinian citizens were injured in the airstrike which targeted a tunnel in Rafah.
He confirmed that one victim sustained critical wounds and the two others suffered minor injuries.
In a statement, Israel's military confirmed seven strikes and said they were in response to rocket fire.
"Since yesterday there has seen a substantial deterioration in the safety of the residents in southern Israel. We have responded and will continue to do so in order to eliminate threats as they develop. This is our obligation and responsibility to those exposed to Gaza terrorism," army spokesman Peter Lerner said.
The statement said that two rockets hit southern Israel on Thursday. Approximately 65 have hit Israeli territory since Wednesday, out of which five hit populated areas, it said.
Khalid al-Batsh highlighted that his movement would adhere with the ceasefire "on condition that the occupation adheres."
"After prompt Egyptian efforts, the terms of the 2012 ceasefire were reactivated Thursday."
A major eight-day confrontation in November 2012 between Israel and militants from Gaza claimed the lives of 177 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and six Israelis.
Before the announcement Thursday, Israeli warplanes struck several targets in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, security and medical sources told Ma’an.
Locals in Rafah told Ma’an that airstrikes targeted a smuggling tunnel under the borders with Egypt. Three Palestinians were injured in the strike.
Israeli jets also fired missiles at an open area in Rafah. No casualties were reported.
A spokesman of the Hamas-run ministry of health in Gaza Ashraf al-Qidra told Ma'an that three Palestinian citizens were injured in the airstrike which targeted a tunnel in Rafah.
He confirmed that one victim sustained critical wounds and the two others suffered minor injuries.
In a statement, Israel's military confirmed seven strikes and said they were in response to rocket fire.
"Since yesterday there has seen a substantial deterioration in the safety of the residents in southern Israel. We have responded and will continue to do so in order to eliminate threats as they develop. This is our obligation and responsibility to those exposed to Gaza terrorism," army spokesman Peter Lerner said.
The statement said that two rockets hit southern Israel on Thursday. Approximately 65 have hit Israeli territory since Wednesday, out of which five hit populated areas, it said.
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The military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement on Thursday posted a video on YouTube with a message in Hebrew addressing the Israeli people, government and army about the recent escalation in the coastal enclave.
Islamic Jihad sends warning to Israel in Hebrew The message, read by a masked gunman, told Israeli soldiers that they would never be safe in Palestine. "You can't enjoy any inaccessibility in our country! Number one: To the government of Zionist terrorism, both your warplanes and missiles will be stopped and we will block them by our chests and you will not achieve your goals. Number two, to the coward Zionist army, we in the al-Quds Brigades are |
ready to reach you. You will have to choose between being dead or captured."
Addressing the Israeli people, the message moved to a third warning three urging the Israeli public to avoid allowing their "extremist leaders" to control their lives. Your leaders, added the message, have been busy waging wars and they aren't willing to live in peace.
"We hereby call upon you to leave our country and look for a country for you. News isn’t what you hear, but rather what you see."
Addressing the Israeli people, the message moved to a third warning three urging the Israeli public to avoid allowing their "extremist leaders" to control their lives. Your leaders, added the message, have been busy waging wars and they aren't willing to live in peace.
"We hereby call upon you to leave our country and look for a country for you. News isn’t what you hear, but rather what you see."
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Overnight, Israeli warplanes carried out raids on 29 targets in Gaza, hitting bases used by militants from Gaza's ruling Hamas movement and from the al-Quds Brigade.
They followed dozens of rocket attacks by the al-Quds Brigades the same day in response to an Israeli airstrike that killed three members of the militant group a day earlier. Also Thursday, the group said its fighters used a new missile launcher which was never used before. In a statement, the al-Quds Brigades said that the new launcher was used Wednesday evening in the battle "Breaking the Silence". |
The statement added that the group's fighters fired more than 130 different missiles and shells at Israeli towns bordering the Gaza Strip "in response to the Israeli aggression."
Photos of the new launcher were attached with the statement, which arrived by email. A video will be released later, according to the statement.
Photos of the new launcher were attached with the statement, which arrived by email. A video will be released later, according to the statement.
Two rockets fired from the Gaza Strip landed in southern Israel on Thursday, with no reports of injuries or damage.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said that two rockets landed in the area of Ashdod and Ashkelon at around 10.45 a.m.
Israel's Iron Dome system reportedly intercepted at least one rocket, Israeli news site Ynet said.
Earlier, an Israeli military spokeswoman told AFP that militants had fired five rockets but only one struck Israeli territory, causing no harm or damage.
Overnight, Israeli warplanes carried out raids on 29 targets in Gaza, hitting bases used by militants from Gaza's ruling Hamas movement and from Islamic Jihad's armed wing, the al-Quds Brigade.
The strikes, which began at around 8.30 p.m. Wednesday, prompted a sharp rebuke from Abbas who demanded Israel "put an end to its military escalation in the besieged Gaza Strip," his spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said Thursday.
By Wednesday evening, Islamic Jihad claimed it had fired at least 90 rockets at Israel in response to an air strike on Tuesday that killed three of its militants in southern Gaza, which took place after they had fired a mortar at Israeli troops in the area.
The military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the National Resistance Brigades, claimed to have fired 30 homemade missiles and a number of mortar shells at southern Israel.
The PFLP's military wing, the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, and two offshoots of Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades also fired missiles at Israel on Wednesday, a statement from the DFLP said.
The recent cross border attacks mark the largest escalation in violence since Israel's war on the Gaza Strip in November 2012, which killed at least 170 Palestinians and injured hundreds.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said that two rockets landed in the area of Ashdod and Ashkelon at around 10.45 a.m.
Israel's Iron Dome system reportedly intercepted at least one rocket, Israeli news site Ynet said.
Earlier, an Israeli military spokeswoman told AFP that militants had fired five rockets but only one struck Israeli territory, causing no harm or damage.
Overnight, Israeli warplanes carried out raids on 29 targets in Gaza, hitting bases used by militants from Gaza's ruling Hamas movement and from Islamic Jihad's armed wing, the al-Quds Brigade.
The strikes, which began at around 8.30 p.m. Wednesday, prompted a sharp rebuke from Abbas who demanded Israel "put an end to its military escalation in the besieged Gaza Strip," his spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said Thursday.
By Wednesday evening, Islamic Jihad claimed it had fired at least 90 rockets at Israel in response to an air strike on Tuesday that killed three of its militants in southern Gaza, which took place after they had fired a mortar at Israeli troops in the area.
The military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the National Resistance Brigades, claimed to have fired 30 homemade missiles and a number of mortar shells at southern Israel.
The PFLP's military wing, the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, and two offshoots of Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades also fired missiles at Israel on Wednesday, a statement from the DFLP said.
The recent cross border attacks mark the largest escalation in violence since Israel's war on the Gaza Strip in November 2012, which killed at least 170 Palestinians and injured hundreds.
The site of a rocket strike in Sderot
Gaza militants resumed their rocket fire on southern Israel on Thursday, after warplanes blitzed the coastal enclave, prompting President Mahmoud Abbas to demand Israel end its "escalation".
A military spokeswoman told AFP that militants had fired five rockets but only one struck Israeli territory, causing no harm or damage.
Earlier, an AFP photographer on the Israeli side of the Gaza border said all was quiet at daybreak.
The spokeswoman said the total number of rockets which had struck southern Israel since the escalation began on Wednesday was "over 60", with five of them hitting populated areas.
Overnight, Israeli warplanes carried out raids on 29 targets in Gaza, hitting bases used by militants from Gaza's ruling Hamas movement and from Islamic Jihad's armed wing, the al-Quds Brigade.
The strikes, which began at around 2030 GMT Wednesday, prompted a sharp rebuke from Abbas who demanded Israel "put an end to its military escalation in the besieged Gaza Strip," his spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said Thursday.
By Wednesday evening, Islamic Jihad claimed it had fired at least 90 rockets at Israel in response to an air strike on Tuesday that killed three of its militants in southern Gaza, which took place after they had fired a mortar at Israeli troops in the area.
The rocket salvos, which sent tens of thousands of Israelis running for shelter, marked the biggest wave of attacks since a major eight-day November 2012 confrontation between Israel and Hamas.
There have been no reports of casualties on either side.
Despite the escalation, schools were operating as normal on Thursday, the military said.
Gaza militants resumed their rocket fire on southern Israel on Thursday, after warplanes blitzed the coastal enclave, prompting President Mahmoud Abbas to demand Israel end its "escalation".
A military spokeswoman told AFP that militants had fired five rockets but only one struck Israeli territory, causing no harm or damage.
Earlier, an AFP photographer on the Israeli side of the Gaza border said all was quiet at daybreak.
The spokeswoman said the total number of rockets which had struck southern Israel since the escalation began on Wednesday was "over 60", with five of them hitting populated areas.
Overnight, Israeli warplanes carried out raids on 29 targets in Gaza, hitting bases used by militants from Gaza's ruling Hamas movement and from Islamic Jihad's armed wing, the al-Quds Brigade.
The strikes, which began at around 2030 GMT Wednesday, prompted a sharp rebuke from Abbas who demanded Israel "put an end to its military escalation in the besieged Gaza Strip," his spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said Thursday.
By Wednesday evening, Islamic Jihad claimed it had fired at least 90 rockets at Israel in response to an air strike on Tuesday that killed three of its militants in southern Gaza, which took place after they had fired a mortar at Israeli troops in the area.
The rocket salvos, which sent tens of thousands of Israelis running for shelter, marked the biggest wave of attacks since a major eight-day November 2012 confrontation between Israel and Hamas.
There have been no reports of casualties on either side.
Despite the escalation, schools were operating as normal on Thursday, the military said.
12 mar 2014
The Erez crossing between Israel and Gaza
The Israeli occupation on Wednesday evening decided to close the two lone border crossings with the Gaza Strip. Director of Borders Directorate in the Palestinian Authority Nazmi Muhanna told Safa Press Agency that “the Israeli authorities informed that the Erez and Karm Abu Salem crossing will be closed as from Thursday until further notice.”
The decision came four hours after Islamic Jihad’s armed wing Saraya Al Quds announced the firing of some 130 rockets on Israel in retaliation for Israel’s killing of three of its military wing.
Spokesman for the Palestinian government in Gaza warned Israel against any escalations.
"We hold the occupation accountable and warn of the consequences of any escalatory acts,” Mr Ihab al-Gusain said.
He reiterated the Palestinian resistance’s right to defend the Palestinian people against any aggressions.
In a related context, the Israeli occupation army approved ‘a tough response’ to the Islamic Jihad rocket attack, reported Israel Channel 10.
Gaza has been under severe economic Israeli blockade since 2007 where the imports and exports are severely restricted.
The Israeli occupation on Wednesday evening decided to close the two lone border crossings with the Gaza Strip. Director of Borders Directorate in the Palestinian Authority Nazmi Muhanna told Safa Press Agency that “the Israeli authorities informed that the Erez and Karm Abu Salem crossing will be closed as from Thursday until further notice.”
The decision came four hours after Islamic Jihad’s armed wing Saraya Al Quds announced the firing of some 130 rockets on Israel in retaliation for Israel’s killing of three of its military wing.
Spokesman for the Palestinian government in Gaza warned Israel against any escalations.
"We hold the occupation accountable and warn of the consequences of any escalatory acts,” Mr Ihab al-Gusain said.
He reiterated the Palestinian resistance’s right to defend the Palestinian people against any aggressions.
In a related context, the Israeli occupation army approved ‘a tough response’ to the Islamic Jihad rocket attack, reported Israel Channel 10.
Gaza has been under severe economic Israeli blockade since 2007 where the imports and exports are severely restricted.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israel would respond "forcefully" against a volley of rocket fire launched against Israel, promising to maintain its security.
"It appears that a rocket salvo came in response to the preventative (air force) strike yesterday. we will continue stopping attacks and hitting those who wish to harm us, and will act against them with full force," Netanyahu wrote on Facebook shortly after the barrage, according to Israeli media.
"The number of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip in the last year has been the lowest in a decade, but this is not enough for us. We will continue acting to ensure the security of the people of Israel both in the south and across the country," Israel's Ynet news site quoted him as saying.
He added: "We will respond against the attacks forcefully and continue in our work against terror organizations."
The statements come after dozens of rockets launched from the Gaza Strip hit southern Israel.
The al-Quds Brigades of Islamic Jihad claimed the volley of rockets, which came a day after an Israeli air force strike killed three of the group's militants.
The three fighters were killed by the airstrike in southeast Khan Younis near the Sufa crossing.
The al-Quds Brigades said at the time that the militants were affiliated to the group.
"They were in confrontation with the occupation trying to stop the progress of Israeli military vehicles which were approaching the area," the statement said.
The Israeli army said in a statement that "terrorists affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the southern Gaza Strip fired a mortar shell at IDF forces."
"It appears that a rocket salvo came in response to the preventative (air force) strike yesterday. we will continue stopping attacks and hitting those who wish to harm us, and will act against them with full force," Netanyahu wrote on Facebook shortly after the barrage, according to Israeli media.
"The number of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip in the last year has been the lowest in a decade, but this is not enough for us. We will continue acting to ensure the security of the people of Israel both in the south and across the country," Israel's Ynet news site quoted him as saying.
He added: "We will respond against the attacks forcefully and continue in our work against terror organizations."
The statements come after dozens of rockets launched from the Gaza Strip hit southern Israel.
The al-Quds Brigades of Islamic Jihad claimed the volley of rockets, which came a day after an Israeli air force strike killed three of the group's militants.
The three fighters were killed by the airstrike in southeast Khan Younis near the Sufa crossing.
The al-Quds Brigades said at the time that the militants were affiliated to the group.
"They were in confrontation with the occupation trying to stop the progress of Israeli military vehicles which were approaching the area," the statement said.
The Israeli army said in a statement that "terrorists affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the southern Gaza Strip fired a mortar shell at IDF forces."
The brother of killed three-year-old Palestinian girl Hala Abu Sabikha, lies on a hospital trolley in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, on December 24, 2013
A Palestinian group has shelled Israel’s southern communities with a number of crude rockets in retaliation for three of its members being killed. Saraya Al Quds, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, said in a press release that it fired 130 rockets on southern Israel in response to targeting and killing three of its members on Tuesday, March 11, 2014.
Reuters news agency quoted Israeli police as saying that the rockets “caused no casualties.”
On Tuesday, three Palestinians affiliated to Islamic Jihad were killed in an air strike on the southern Gaza Strip.
The targeting came hours after an Islamic Jihad group confronted Israeli tanks which crossed into agricultural land bordering the security fence, according to the movement.
18 Palestinians in Gaza were killed since an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire deal was reached in 2012, following Israel’s eight-day offensive in November 2012, which resulted in 167 Palestinians killed, health ministry says.
A Palestinian group has shelled Israel’s southern communities with a number of crude rockets in retaliation for three of its members being killed. Saraya Al Quds, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, said in a press release that it fired 130 rockets on southern Israel in response to targeting and killing three of its members on Tuesday, March 11, 2014.
Reuters news agency quoted Israeli police as saying that the rockets “caused no casualties.”
On Tuesday, three Palestinians affiliated to Islamic Jihad were killed in an air strike on the southern Gaza Strip.
The targeting came hours after an Islamic Jihad group confronted Israeli tanks which crossed into agricultural land bordering the security fence, according to the movement.
18 Palestinians in Gaza were killed since an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire deal was reached in 2012, following Israel’s eight-day offensive in November 2012, which resulted in 167 Palestinians killed, health ministry says.
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The al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, published photos of an Israeli drone it seized earlier on Tuesday east of Rafah south of the Gaza Strip.
The brigades said it "managed to seize a Zionist drone in the southern Gaza Strip," in a statement. |