30 june 2014
Any Israeli action to punish Hamas for the alleged murder of three teenagers whose bodies were found on Monday would open "the gates of hell," the Islamist movement warned.
"If the occupiers carry out an escalation or a war, they will open the gates of hell on themselves," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP.
The warning came shortly after Israel confirmed finding the bodies of the three students who disappeared while hitchhiking in the southern West Bank on June 12.
The bodies were found in a field near Halhul some 10 minutes from the roadside spot where they were last seen, media reports said.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of kidnapping the teens, two of whom were minors, and launched a major crackdown on the movement's West Bank infrastructure.
Hamas has dismissed the Israeli allegations as "stupid" with Abu Zuhri accusing Israel of fabricating the kidnapping as an excuse to crack down on the Islamist movement.
"The disappearance and murder of the three Israelis is only based on the Israeli narrative, and the occupation is trying to use this story to justify its extensive war against our people, against resistance and against Hamas," he charged.
"If the occupiers carry out an escalation or a war, they will open the gates of hell on themselves," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP.
The warning came shortly after Israel confirmed finding the bodies of the three students who disappeared while hitchhiking in the southern West Bank on June 12.
The bodies were found in a field near Halhul some 10 minutes from the roadside spot where they were last seen, media reports said.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of kidnapping the teens, two of whom were minors, and launched a major crackdown on the movement's West Bank infrastructure.
Hamas has dismissed the Israeli allegations as "stupid" with Abu Zuhri accusing Israel of fabricating the kidnapping as an excuse to crack down on the Islamist movement.
"The disappearance and murder of the three Israelis is only based on the Israeli narrative, and the occupation is trying to use this story to justify its extensive war against our people, against resistance and against Hamas," he charged.
A Palestinian boy looks at the body of Palestian militant killed in an Israeli strike, at the morgue of the Nasir Hospital in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza strip, on June 29, 2014
Israel on Monday issued a brusque warning to Hamas, demanding it prevent rocket fire from Gaza as fears grow of a new confrontation around the coastal Palestinian enclave.
Militants fired 14 rockets at southern Israel during the morning, sending tension soaring and drawing a warning from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that unless the Islamist movement cracked down on those behind the attacks the Israeli military would step in.
"If this fire continues there are two possibilities: either Hamas stops it as the responsible authority in the area, or we will stop it," Netanyahu said in remarks broadcast on army radio.
"I strongly suggest that Hamas take into account the fact that we will not let this firing continue or expand," he told ministers at the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs and defense.
Since Friday, at least 26 rockets and mortar shells have hit southern Israel, with another four intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system, prompting calls by senior cabinet members for a tough response to Hamas, whose power-base is in Gaza.
In response, the Israeli air force has hit back killing three Palestinians.
The hike in fire from Gaza has coincided with a huge Israeli arrest operation in the West Bank aimed at finding three teenagers who disappeared on June 12.
Israel has blamed militants from Hamas for the attacks.
The Islamist movement had held power in Gaza for the past seven years but stepped down earlier this month when a unified government with the West Bank was sworn in. Despite the change, Hamas remains the de facto authority in charge of security in the Palestinian enclave.
Since June 12, Israel has staged multiple air strikes on Gaza although none were lethal until Friday when two militants were killed, with a third militant killed late on Sunday. The army said all of them were involved in the rocket fire.
Speaking on Sunday, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman reiterated calls for Israel to stage a "full (military) re-occupation" of the coastal enclave from which it pulled out all troops and settlers in 2005.
"At the end of the day, we have seen that limited operations only strengthen Hamas, so the alternative is clear," he said, reiterating his well-publicized stance.
Hit Hamas hard
Even Israeli Finance Minister Yair Lapid, a relative moderate who heads the centrist Yesh Atid, said it was time to take off the kid gloves and hit Hamas where it hurt.
"I'm in favor of dealing Hamas a harsh blow, firstly because of the kidnapping ... and also because of this firing," he told army radio on Monday.
Despite the calls, Israel's military brass is reluctant to carry out a major ground operation which could cost soldiers' lives and provoke international censure, commentators say.
The Israeli army says about 40 rockets have struck the south since the three youths disappeared in the southern West Bank on June 12.
Netanyahu has accused Hamas of kidnapping them, and last week named two of its operatives said to be behind their abduction. Hamas has dismissed the allegations as "stupid."
Israel has said its West Bank campaign is aimed at smashing Hamas's West Bank infrastructure, although there have been growing calls to hit the movement in its Gaza stronghold.
So far, over 500 Palestinians have been arrested, most of them Hamas members, and at least eight have been killed.
Gaza abandoned?
Meanwhile, Mousa Abu Marzouk, a top figure in the Hamas politburo, accused President Mahmoud Abbas of abandoning Gaza in spite of the reconciliation between leaders in the West Bank and Gaza.
"Today, I fear Hamas will be required to come back to protect the security of its people," he wrote on Facebook.
"Gaza does not exist in a vacuum," he said, adding it was not currently ruled by the former Hamas government, nor by the Ramallah-based national unity government which was sworn in on June 2.
Abbas was not taking responsibility for Gaza, and "does not want reconciliation," he charged.
"Even if we give him Gaza, he will not take it."
The confrontations in and around Gaza turned deadly on Friday when two militants from the Popular Resistance Committees were killed by a missile that struck their car in Gaza City.
Another air strike on Sunday evening hit a group of armed men near the southern city of Khan Younis, killing one of them, sources on both sides said.
Israel on Monday issued a brusque warning to Hamas, demanding it prevent rocket fire from Gaza as fears grow of a new confrontation around the coastal Palestinian enclave.
Militants fired 14 rockets at southern Israel during the morning, sending tension soaring and drawing a warning from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that unless the Islamist movement cracked down on those behind the attacks the Israeli military would step in.
"If this fire continues there are two possibilities: either Hamas stops it as the responsible authority in the area, or we will stop it," Netanyahu said in remarks broadcast on army radio.
"I strongly suggest that Hamas take into account the fact that we will not let this firing continue or expand," he told ministers at the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs and defense.
Since Friday, at least 26 rockets and mortar shells have hit southern Israel, with another four intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system, prompting calls by senior cabinet members for a tough response to Hamas, whose power-base is in Gaza.
In response, the Israeli air force has hit back killing three Palestinians.
The hike in fire from Gaza has coincided with a huge Israeli arrest operation in the West Bank aimed at finding three teenagers who disappeared on June 12.
Israel has blamed militants from Hamas for the attacks.
The Islamist movement had held power in Gaza for the past seven years but stepped down earlier this month when a unified government with the West Bank was sworn in. Despite the change, Hamas remains the de facto authority in charge of security in the Palestinian enclave.
Since June 12, Israel has staged multiple air strikes on Gaza although none were lethal until Friday when two militants were killed, with a third militant killed late on Sunday. The army said all of them were involved in the rocket fire.
Speaking on Sunday, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman reiterated calls for Israel to stage a "full (military) re-occupation" of the coastal enclave from which it pulled out all troops and settlers in 2005.
"At the end of the day, we have seen that limited operations only strengthen Hamas, so the alternative is clear," he said, reiterating his well-publicized stance.
Hit Hamas hard
Even Israeli Finance Minister Yair Lapid, a relative moderate who heads the centrist Yesh Atid, said it was time to take off the kid gloves and hit Hamas where it hurt.
"I'm in favor of dealing Hamas a harsh blow, firstly because of the kidnapping ... and also because of this firing," he told army radio on Monday.
Despite the calls, Israel's military brass is reluctant to carry out a major ground operation which could cost soldiers' lives and provoke international censure, commentators say.
The Israeli army says about 40 rockets have struck the south since the three youths disappeared in the southern West Bank on June 12.
Netanyahu has accused Hamas of kidnapping them, and last week named two of its operatives said to be behind their abduction. Hamas has dismissed the allegations as "stupid."
Israel has said its West Bank campaign is aimed at smashing Hamas's West Bank infrastructure, although there have been growing calls to hit the movement in its Gaza stronghold.
So far, over 500 Palestinians have been arrested, most of them Hamas members, and at least eight have been killed.
Gaza abandoned?
Meanwhile, Mousa Abu Marzouk, a top figure in the Hamas politburo, accused President Mahmoud Abbas of abandoning Gaza in spite of the reconciliation between leaders in the West Bank and Gaza.
"Today, I fear Hamas will be required to come back to protect the security of its people," he wrote on Facebook.
"Gaza does not exist in a vacuum," he said, adding it was not currently ruled by the former Hamas government, nor by the Ramallah-based national unity government which was sworn in on June 2.
Abbas was not taking responsibility for Gaza, and "does not want reconciliation," he charged.
"Even if we give him Gaza, he will not take it."
The confrontations in and around Gaza turned deadly on Friday when two militants from the Popular Resistance Committees were killed by a missile that struck their car in Gaza City.
Another air strike on Sunday evening hit a group of armed men near the southern city of Khan Younis, killing one of them, sources on both sides said.
By ISABEL KERSHNERJUNE
Historically, Israel has maintained a quiet alliance with the Kurds of Iraq. Mr. Netanyahu described them as a “fighting people” who have proved their political moderation and who deserve independence.
He was less complimentary about the Palestinians, who aspire to an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza with a capital in East Jerusalem, lands conquered by Israel in the 1967 war.
In the past Mr. Netanyahu has spoken of the need for a long-term Israeli military presence along the Jordan River, which forms the border between the West Bank and the Kingdom of Jordan, to prevent infiltrations and weapons smuggling from the east that could threaten Israel.
The Palestinians have said they are ready for a phased Israeli withdrawal over five years, ending the occupation, and for a third-party NATO force or American troops to help secure the territories Israel evacuated.
Mr. Netanyahu now appears to be suggesting that Israel would insist on maintaining freedom of action in all of the West Bank, even after the formation of a Palestinian state, severely limiting Palestinian sovereignty. He said that it had been proved time and again that after the departure of Western forces, local troops trained by the West could not be relied on. He cited Gaza, where the Islamic militant group Hamas routed Western-backed Palestinian Authority forces after Israel’s unilateral withdrawal in 2005, and Iraq after the exit of American forces.
The departure of Israeli forces from the West Bank, Mr. Netanyahu added, would “probably lead to collapse of the Palestinian Authority there and the takeover of radical Islamic forces, like in Gaza.”
Some Israeli analysts viewed Mr. Netanyahu’s remarks as a continuation of his customary hard line, but an Israeli official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly on the speech, said that the recent events in Iraq had also influenced the prime minister.
In his address, at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, Mr. Netanyahu stated that the turmoil in the Middle East also offered an opportunity for enhanced regional cooperation among moderate forces with shared interests. Israel, he said, would support international efforts to shore up Jordan, though he called it a stable country with a strong army that is able to defend itself. And for the first time he openly endorsed Kurdish aspirations for independence.
One Israeli security expert said that Mr. Netanyahu’s endorsement of Kurdish aspirations for independence might also have been meant to underscore what Israel sees as an international double standard when it comes to the strong world support for Palestinian statehood.
Underlining the growing volatility in the region, tit-for-tat attacks continued over the weekend across Israel’s border with Gaza. On Saturday night a rocket fired from Gaza struck a paint factory, setting it ablaze, in the Israeli border town of Sderot. Israel carried out a dozen retaliatory airstrikes against four “terror activity sites,” six concealed rocket launchers and two weapons manufacturing sites in Gaza, according to the Israeli military.
Two more rockets were fired into southern Israel on Sunday and were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. At the same time, according to the military, Palestinian gunmen in Gaza fired at Israeli forces near the border fence, causing no injuries. Soon after, the Israeli Air Force fired at what the military said was a squad preparing to launch more rockets. Palestinian health officials said a Palestinian man was killed.
Tensions along the Israel-Gaza border have risen sharply since three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped in the West Bank more than two weeks ago. Israel has blamed Hamas for the abductions.
Historically, Israel has maintained a quiet alliance with the Kurds of Iraq. Mr. Netanyahu described them as a “fighting people” who have proved their political moderation and who deserve independence.
He was less complimentary about the Palestinians, who aspire to an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza with a capital in East Jerusalem, lands conquered by Israel in the 1967 war.
In the past Mr. Netanyahu has spoken of the need for a long-term Israeli military presence along the Jordan River, which forms the border between the West Bank and the Kingdom of Jordan, to prevent infiltrations and weapons smuggling from the east that could threaten Israel.
The Palestinians have said they are ready for a phased Israeli withdrawal over five years, ending the occupation, and for a third-party NATO force or American troops to help secure the territories Israel evacuated.
Mr. Netanyahu now appears to be suggesting that Israel would insist on maintaining freedom of action in all of the West Bank, even after the formation of a Palestinian state, severely limiting Palestinian sovereignty. He said that it had been proved time and again that after the departure of Western forces, local troops trained by the West could not be relied on. He cited Gaza, where the Islamic militant group Hamas routed Western-backed Palestinian Authority forces after Israel’s unilateral withdrawal in 2005, and Iraq after the exit of American forces.
The departure of Israeli forces from the West Bank, Mr. Netanyahu added, would “probably lead to collapse of the Palestinian Authority there and the takeover of radical Islamic forces, like in Gaza.”
Some Israeli analysts viewed Mr. Netanyahu’s remarks as a continuation of his customary hard line, but an Israeli official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly on the speech, said that the recent events in Iraq had also influenced the prime minister.
In his address, at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, Mr. Netanyahu stated that the turmoil in the Middle East also offered an opportunity for enhanced regional cooperation among moderate forces with shared interests. Israel, he said, would support international efforts to shore up Jordan, though he called it a stable country with a strong army that is able to defend itself. And for the first time he openly endorsed Kurdish aspirations for independence.
One Israeli security expert said that Mr. Netanyahu’s endorsement of Kurdish aspirations for independence might also have been meant to underscore what Israel sees as an international double standard when it comes to the strong world support for Palestinian statehood.
Underlining the growing volatility in the region, tit-for-tat attacks continued over the weekend across Israel’s border with Gaza. On Saturday night a rocket fired from Gaza struck a paint factory, setting it ablaze, in the Israeli border town of Sderot. Israel carried out a dozen retaliatory airstrikes against four “terror activity sites,” six concealed rocket launchers and two weapons manufacturing sites in Gaza, according to the Israeli military.
Two more rockets were fired into southern Israel on Sunday and were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. At the same time, according to the military, Palestinian gunmen in Gaza fired at Israeli forces near the border fence, causing no injuries. Soon after, the Israeli Air Force fired at what the military said was a squad preparing to launch more rockets. Palestinian health officials said a Palestinian man was killed.
Tensions along the Israel-Gaza border have risen sharply since three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped in the West Bank more than two weeks ago. Israel has blamed Hamas for the abductions.
Fourteen rockets were fired at southern Israel from the Gaza Strip overnight after an Israeli airstrike killed one Palestinian and injured at least three others late Sunday.
At least 14 rockets were fired at southern Israel, with one causing damage to a residential property in the Sdot Negev regional council, Israel's army said.
The Iron Dome intercepted two rockets, an army spokeswoman added.
Israeli warplanes struck 12 targets overnight, which the army said were being used for "terrorist activity". One man was killed and three others injured in the attacks.
On Friday, two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a car near Gaza City.
The cross-border violence comes amid increased tensions as an Israeli military campaign across the West Bank enters its third week.
The campaign, which is the largest deployment since the early 2000s, has left eight Palestinians dead, more than 130 wounded, and more than 560 detained.
16 Gaza rockets hit Eshkol
About 16 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip rocked the Eshkol regional council in Western Negev on Monday, the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper claimed.
According to the newspaper, a rocket landed in the area shortly after a 10-rocket barrage slammed into Eshkol at 7 a.m. Two other rockets exploded in an open area in the regional council while 3 more missiles were fired overnight.
It added that no blast injuries or damage have been reported so far.
In the meantime, the Israeli occupation authorities claimed 6 rockets were fired from Gaza towards the 1948 occupied Palestine Sunday evening.
Code Red sirens have been sounded across the settlements of Netivot, Ashkelon and Sderot, along with Sha’ar HaNegev, south of the 1948 occupied Palestine, Yediot Aharonot further pointed out.
In an earlier incident Sunday, Palestinian citizen Muhammad Abu Rezq was killed while two more civilians sustained severe wounds in an Israeli raid northeast of Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip.
At least 14 rockets were fired at southern Israel, with one causing damage to a residential property in the Sdot Negev regional council, Israel's army said.
The Iron Dome intercepted two rockets, an army spokeswoman added.
Israeli warplanes struck 12 targets overnight, which the army said were being used for "terrorist activity". One man was killed and three others injured in the attacks.
On Friday, two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a car near Gaza City.
The cross-border violence comes amid increased tensions as an Israeli military campaign across the West Bank enters its third week.
The campaign, which is the largest deployment since the early 2000s, has left eight Palestinians dead, more than 130 wounded, and more than 560 detained.
16 Gaza rockets hit Eshkol
About 16 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip rocked the Eshkol regional council in Western Negev on Monday, the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper claimed.
According to the newspaper, a rocket landed in the area shortly after a 10-rocket barrage slammed into Eshkol at 7 a.m. Two other rockets exploded in an open area in the regional council while 3 more missiles were fired overnight.
It added that no blast injuries or damage have been reported so far.
In the meantime, the Israeli occupation authorities claimed 6 rockets were fired from Gaza towards the 1948 occupied Palestine Sunday evening.
Code Red sirens have been sounded across the settlements of Netivot, Ashkelon and Sderot, along with Sha’ar HaNegev, south of the 1948 occupied Palestine, Yediot Aharonot further pointed out.
In an earlier incident Sunday, Palestinian citizen Muhammad Abu Rezq was killed while two more civilians sustained severe wounds in an Israeli raid northeast of Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip.
29 june 2014
Israel is "ready" to expand its operations in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Sunday after the air force struck 12 targets overnight following a surge in militant rocket fire.
Speaking to ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting, the Israeli premier said the almost-nightly military strikes on Gaza could be expanded should the need arise.
His remarks came after a sharp hike in tensions along the border as militant groups have stepped up their fire on southern Israel.
"Over the weekend, the IDF attacked multiple targets in response to firing at Israel from the Gaza Strip. We are ready to expand this operation as per need," Netanyahu said, without elaborating.
Speaking to army radio ahead of the cabinet meeting, Israel's hawkish Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned a limited response would only strengthen the Islamist movement Hamas, which held power in Gaza for the past seven years but stepped down earlier this month when a unified government with the West Bank was sworn in.
"We have seen that, at the end of the day, limited operations only strengthen Hamas so the alternative is clear," he said, repeating his long-held assertion that Israel should re-occupy the Gaza Strip, which it left in 2005.
Hamas is currently observing a ceasefire with Israel reached in in 2012, after they fought an eight-day war that left 170 Palestinians and four Israelis dead.
The military wings of other Palestinian factions, however, regularly fire rockets from Gaza into Israel, with most of the projectiles landing in open areas without causing injuries or damages.
Israeli warplanes struck Gaza 12 times overnight, with Palestinian officials saying two people had been lightly injured.
The army said the sites targeted were being used for "terrorist activity."
The raids took place after six rockets struck southern Israel on Saturday evening, one of which hit a paint factory in Sderot industrial zone, causing an explosion and major fire as the flammable substance ignited, police said.
On Friday, two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike on a car near Gaza City, with the military saying they had been involved in firing rockets at Israel.
Hours earlier, a bomb had exploded along the southern sector of the border, prompting Israeli tanks to open fire towards the southern city of Khan Yunis, injuring five Palestinians, one of them a child.
The military said it had fired on "lookout posts used to guide the attack" with Palestinians officials saying it had targeted "two mosque minarets east of Khan Yunis."
Over the past fortnight, 25 rockets fired from Gaza have struck southern Israel out of a total of 28 since the start of the month, prompting a series of almost nightly Israeli air strikes. Last month, the total was seven.
The rise in rocket fire has coincided with a huge Israeli arrest operation in the West Bank to track down three teenagers who went missing on June 12, whom Israel says were kidnapped by Hamas militants.
So far, more than 400 Palestinians have been arrested, most of them Hamas members, and another five have been killed.
But there has been no claim for the youths' abduction, nor has there been any indication of their whereabouts.
Speaking to ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting, the Israeli premier said the almost-nightly military strikes on Gaza could be expanded should the need arise.
His remarks came after a sharp hike in tensions along the border as militant groups have stepped up their fire on southern Israel.
"Over the weekend, the IDF attacked multiple targets in response to firing at Israel from the Gaza Strip. We are ready to expand this operation as per need," Netanyahu said, without elaborating.
Speaking to army radio ahead of the cabinet meeting, Israel's hawkish Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned a limited response would only strengthen the Islamist movement Hamas, which held power in Gaza for the past seven years but stepped down earlier this month when a unified government with the West Bank was sworn in.
"We have seen that, at the end of the day, limited operations only strengthen Hamas so the alternative is clear," he said, repeating his long-held assertion that Israel should re-occupy the Gaza Strip, which it left in 2005.
Hamas is currently observing a ceasefire with Israel reached in in 2012, after they fought an eight-day war that left 170 Palestinians and four Israelis dead.
The military wings of other Palestinian factions, however, regularly fire rockets from Gaza into Israel, with most of the projectiles landing in open areas without causing injuries or damages.
Israeli warplanes struck Gaza 12 times overnight, with Palestinian officials saying two people had been lightly injured.
The army said the sites targeted were being used for "terrorist activity."
The raids took place after six rockets struck southern Israel on Saturday evening, one of which hit a paint factory in Sderot industrial zone, causing an explosion and major fire as the flammable substance ignited, police said.
On Friday, two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike on a car near Gaza City, with the military saying they had been involved in firing rockets at Israel.
Hours earlier, a bomb had exploded along the southern sector of the border, prompting Israeli tanks to open fire towards the southern city of Khan Yunis, injuring five Palestinians, one of them a child.
The military said it had fired on "lookout posts used to guide the attack" with Palestinians officials saying it had targeted "two mosque minarets east of Khan Yunis."
Over the past fortnight, 25 rockets fired from Gaza have struck southern Israel out of a total of 28 since the start of the month, prompting a series of almost nightly Israeli air strikes. Last month, the total was seven.
The rise in rocket fire has coincided with a huge Israeli arrest operation in the West Bank to track down three teenagers who went missing on June 12, whom Israel says were kidnapped by Hamas militants.
So far, more than 400 Palestinians have been arrested, most of them Hamas members, and another five have been killed.
But there has been no claim for the youths' abduction, nor has there been any indication of their whereabouts.
Al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, on Sunday claimed responsibility for launching rockets from the Gaza Strip toward southern Israel.
The group, which has no connection to the local popular resistance committees that exist throughout the West Bank, said in a statement that its fighters fired four rockets toward Eshkol regional council, three rockets toward Sderot and three toward other Israeli towns.
The shelling is part of "our retaliation to the Israeli crimes against our Palestinian people in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and the ongoing violations against prisoners," according to the statement.
The group, which has no connection to the local popular resistance committees that exist throughout the West Bank, said in a statement that its fighters fired four rockets toward Eshkol regional council, three rockets toward Sderot and three toward other Israeli towns.
The shelling is part of "our retaliation to the Israeli crimes against our Palestinian people in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and the ongoing violations against prisoners," according to the statement.
The statement marks the first time a Palestinian faction claims responsibility for the upsurge in rockets launched from Gaza since Israel launched a massive military deployment across the West Bank in mid-June in pursuit of three missing Israeli teenagers.
The search has led to the deaths of seven Palestinians and the arrest of nearly 600, with more than 130 Palestinians injured in clashes with Israeli forces.
The Israeli military said earlier on Sunday that 25 rockets from Gaza had hit southern Israel in the last two weeks, hitting a home and a factory but causing no injuries.
Although Hamas and Israel have maintained a fragile ceasefire since Nov. 2012, other militant groups in the besieged Palestinian coastal enclave frequently launch rockets into Israel.
The majority of these attacks, which primarily involve homemade projectiles, land harmlessly in open areas across southern Israel.
The search has led to the deaths of seven Palestinians and the arrest of nearly 600, with more than 130 Palestinians injured in clashes with Israeli forces.
The Israeli military said earlier on Sunday that 25 rockets from Gaza had hit southern Israel in the last two weeks, hitting a home and a factory but causing no injuries.
Although Hamas and Israel have maintained a fragile ceasefire since Nov. 2012, other militant groups in the besieged Palestinian coastal enclave frequently launch rockets into Israel.
The majority of these attacks, which primarily involve homemade projectiles, land harmlessly in open areas across southern Israel.
28 june 2014
Four rockets fired from Gaza landed in southern Israel Saturday evening, one of them hitting a factory and causing a fire, Israeli media and the Israeli army said.
"At least 2 rockets hit the city of Sderot in the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional council. The rockets hit an industrial factory causing a fire," the army said in a statement.
"Rescue and emergency teams are on the site," the statement said.
Israeli media said that no injuries were immediately reported.
Another rocket fell in an open area near the city, without causing any damages or injuries, the Israeli news site Ynet reported.
Later, two more rockets from Gaza fell in Sdot Negev Regional Council, without causing injuries or damage, Ynet said.
"At least 2 rockets hit the city of Sderot in the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional council. The rockets hit an industrial factory causing a fire," the army said in a statement.
"Rescue and emergency teams are on the site," the statement said.
Israeli media said that no injuries were immediately reported.
Another rocket fell in an open area near the city, without causing any damages or injuries, the Israeli news site Ynet reported.
Later, two more rockets from Gaza fell in Sdot Negev Regional Council, without causing injuries or damage, Ynet said.
Earlier on Saturday, Israel's army launched airstrikes on southern and central Gaza after projectiles launched from the Strip hit open areas in southern Israel.
Airstrikes hit a Palestinian militant base, an abandoned Israeli settlement, and open areas near refugee camps in Gaza, locals said.
Israel had on Friday killed two Palestinians and injured two others when its air force bombed a car traveling near al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City.
The killing was the first targeted assassination by Israel since the formation of the Palestinian national unity government at the beginning of June.
The two were affiliated with the al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees. The PRC is a Gaza-based militant group that opposes negotiations with Israel and frequently fires rockets from Gaza.
Israel's army said it targeted the "terror operatives" due to their involvement in launching rockets at Israel over the past week. Both men were planning further attacks against Israel, it added.
The strike came amid increased tensions in the region as an Israeli military campaign across the West Bank entered its second week.
The campaign, the largest deployment in the West Bank since the early 2000s, has left eight Palestinians dead, more than 130 wounded, and more than 560 detained.
It has included near-nightly airstrikes on Gaza as Israeli forces pound the besieged enclave in response to rocket attacks by militants angry about the West Bank offensive.
Airstrikes hit a Palestinian militant base, an abandoned Israeli settlement, and open areas near refugee camps in Gaza, locals said.
Israel had on Friday killed two Palestinians and injured two others when its air force bombed a car traveling near al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City.
The killing was the first targeted assassination by Israel since the formation of the Palestinian national unity government at the beginning of June.
The two were affiliated with the al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees. The PRC is a Gaza-based militant group that opposes negotiations with Israel and frequently fires rockets from Gaza.
Israel's army said it targeted the "terror operatives" due to their involvement in launching rockets at Israel over the past week. Both men were planning further attacks against Israel, it added.
The strike came amid increased tensions in the region as an Israeli military campaign across the West Bank entered its second week.
The campaign, the largest deployment in the West Bank since the early 2000s, has left eight Palestinians dead, more than 130 wounded, and more than 560 detained.
It has included near-nightly airstrikes on Gaza as Israeli forces pound the besieged enclave in response to rocket attacks by militants angry about the West Bank offensive.
27 june 2014
Militants in the Gaza Strip launched six rockets and a mortar shell toward populated areas in the southern Negev region, Israel's military said late Friday.
The country's anti-rocket Iron Dome system intercepted two of the rockets, an army spokeswoman told Ma'an.
There were no reports of injury or damage.
Hours earlier, two Palestinians were killed and two others were wounded after Israel's air force bombed a car traveling near al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City.
The killing was the first targeted assassination by Israel since the formation of the Palestinian national unity government at the beginning of June.
The two were apparently affiliated with the al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees.
The Popular Resistance Committees is a Gaza-based militant group that opposes negotiations with Israel and frequently fires rockets from Gaza.
Israel's army said it targeted the "terror operatives" due to their involvement in launching rockets at Israel over the past week.
Both men were planning further attacks against Israel, it added.
The strike comes amid increased tensions across the region as an Israeli military campaign across the West Bank enters into its second week.
The campaign, which is the largest deployment since the early 2000s, has left eight Palestinians dead, more than 130 wounded, and more than 560 detained.
It has also meant near nightly airstrikes for Gaza, as Israeli forces pound the besieged coastal enclave in response to rocket attacks by local militants angry about the West Bank offensive.
The country's anti-rocket Iron Dome system intercepted two of the rockets, an army spokeswoman told Ma'an.
There were no reports of injury or damage.
Hours earlier, two Palestinians were killed and two others were wounded after Israel's air force bombed a car traveling near al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City.
The killing was the first targeted assassination by Israel since the formation of the Palestinian national unity government at the beginning of June.
The two were apparently affiliated with the al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees.
The Popular Resistance Committees is a Gaza-based militant group that opposes negotiations with Israel and frequently fires rockets from Gaza.
Israel's army said it targeted the "terror operatives" due to their involvement in launching rockets at Israel over the past week.
Both men were planning further attacks against Israel, it added.
The strike comes amid increased tensions across the region as an Israeli military campaign across the West Bank enters into its second week.
The campaign, which is the largest deployment since the early 2000s, has left eight Palestinians dead, more than 130 wounded, and more than 560 detained.
It has also meant near nightly airstrikes for Gaza, as Israeli forces pound the besieged coastal enclave in response to rocket attacks by local militants angry about the West Bank offensive.
25 june 2014
Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Zahhar confirmed that Palestinian resistance is able to target any city in occupied Palestine.
During the memorial ceremony of Al-Qassam Brigades martyrs who died in an accidental blast inside tunnel, Zahhar said that Palestinian resistance factions topped by Qassam Brigades are able to target any city inside the Green Line in reference to Stones of Shale battle.
Al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas have bombed Tel Aviv and occupied Jerusalem during Stones of Shale battle in 2012, which forced the occupation to stop its aggression on Gaza Strip within 8 days after reaching a truce agreement, Zahhar pointed out.
He said that the five martyrs, who died inside the tunnel, have sacrificed their lives in preparation for the liberation of Palestine and in defense of the Arab and Islamic nation’s dignity.
The memorial ceremony has included a video recording of the five martyrs’ wills.
During the memorial ceremony of Al-Qassam Brigades martyrs who died in an accidental blast inside tunnel, Zahhar said that Palestinian resistance factions topped by Qassam Brigades are able to target any city inside the Green Line in reference to Stones of Shale battle.
Al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas have bombed Tel Aviv and occupied Jerusalem during Stones of Shale battle in 2012, which forced the occupation to stop its aggression on Gaza Strip within 8 days after reaching a truce agreement, Zahhar pointed out.
He said that the five martyrs, who died inside the tunnel, have sacrificed their lives in preparation for the liberation of Palestine and in defense of the Arab and Islamic nation’s dignity.
The memorial ceremony has included a video recording of the five martyrs’ wills.
Joud Mohammad ad-Danf 3
On Tuesday evening, June 24, the Israeli Air Force carried out a series of airstrikes targeting different parts of the Gaza Strip; two Palestinians injured. A child was accidentally killed by a homemade shell in northern Gaza.
Media sources in Gaza have reported that the F-16 Israeli fighter jets fired at least for missiles into an agricultural area, north of Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli Air Force also fired three missiles into a Palestinian Naval Police center, west of the Nusseirat refugee camp, one of the largest refugee camps, in Gaza. The attack led to excessive property damage, and two injuries.
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Ashraf al-Qodra, stated that two young officers suffered cuts and bruises due to the attack, and were move to a local hospital. Their injuries have been described as mild.
In Khan Younis, in the southern part of the coastal region, an Israeli military helicopter fired one missile into a farmland causing fires.
Eyewitnesses said the Israeli Air Force can still be seen and heard flying over different parts of the besieged coastal region.
In related news, medical sources have reported that a Palestinian child has been killed, on Tuesday evening, when a homemade shell, fired by Palestinian fighters, accidentally struck her family’s home.
Dr. al-Qodra said Joud Mohammad ad-Danf, 3 years of age, was seriously injured, and died of her wounds later on. She was one of five family members injured in the incident.
On Tuesday evening, June 24, the Israeli Air Force carried out a series of airstrikes targeting different parts of the Gaza Strip; two Palestinians injured. A child was accidentally killed by a homemade shell in northern Gaza.
Media sources in Gaza have reported that the F-16 Israeli fighter jets fired at least for missiles into an agricultural area, north of Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli Air Force also fired three missiles into a Palestinian Naval Police center, west of the Nusseirat refugee camp, one of the largest refugee camps, in Gaza. The attack led to excessive property damage, and two injuries.
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Ashraf al-Qodra, stated that two young officers suffered cuts and bruises due to the attack, and were move to a local hospital. Their injuries have been described as mild.
In Khan Younis, in the southern part of the coastal region, an Israeli military helicopter fired one missile into a farmland causing fires.
Eyewitnesses said the Israeli Air Force can still be seen and heard flying over different parts of the besieged coastal region.
In related news, medical sources have reported that a Palestinian child has been killed, on Tuesday evening, when a homemade shell, fired by Palestinian fighters, accidentally struck her family’s home.
Dr. al-Qodra said Joud Mohammad ad-Danf, 3 years of age, was seriously injured, and died of her wounds later on. She was one of five family members injured in the incident.
24 june 2014
Israeli media reported Tuesday that at least two rockets fired from the Gaza Strip landed in southern Israel.
The "Iron Dome" rocket defense system managed to intercept one of the projectiles, Israel's Ynet news site reported.
They were fired toward the Hof Ashkelon regional council, according to the report.
The "Iron Dome" rocket defense system managed to intercept one of the projectiles, Israel's Ynet news site reported.
They were fired toward the Hof Ashkelon regional council, according to the report.