Hamas’s armed wing Izza-din al-Qassam claims that it struck six Israeli air bases, as the fighting between Palestinians and Israelis hunkers down for its second week.
The group said its missiles had struck the six airbases of Hatzor, Hatzerim, Nevatim, Tel Nof, Palmachim, and Ramon, reports said.
Israeli media reported that a fresh round of attacks was launched by Palestinian resistance groups in the early hours of Wednesday at the cities of Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Beersheba, in response to the Israeli Air Force’s intense airstrikes. Huge explosions and plumes of smoke have reportedly been sighted near Tel Aviv and made rocket warning sirens to go off.
Israeli officials said two people were killed in rocket attacks on the Eshkol region in southern Israel.
Palestine’s official Wafa news agency said Israeli warplanes had targeted, with at least 40 missiles, nearly 70 locations in the cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, in the south of Gaza, leaving at least seven people injured who were transferred to hospitals for medical treatment.
Tensions between Palestine and Israel rose after the latter allegedly tried to expel dozens of Palestinians from their homes in the volatile Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of the Old City in occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds. The anger further intensified earlier this month with Israeli attacks on Palestinian worshipers in the al-Aqsa Mosque complex during Ramzan.
Hamas then launched intense rocket attacks at Israel. Around 90% of Hamas’ over 3,000 rockets have been intercepted by the Israeli Iron Dome.
The Hamas rockets have been answered with ongoing Israeli airstrikes that have left nearly 200 Palestinians dead and sparked worldwide calls for diplomatic action. The crisis is the worst since a 2014 Hamas-Israeli war that lasted nearly two months.
