News
Rockets reach Zichron Ya’akov; Iron Dome continues to protect Israelis
Day two of Operation Protective Edge saw much of southern and central Israel remain under Gaza rocket fire, which reached its furthest northern point yet.
In total, around 80 rockets were fired into Israel. Most targeted southern Israel, including the cities of Beer Sheva, Ashkelon and Ashdod, although residents in Tel Aviv also hurried to bomb shelters. The rocket fire reached as far north as Zichron Ya’akov and the Carmel region near Haifa, around 100 miles from Gaza, representing the longest range strike recorded by Hamas.
This morning, the Iron Dome anti-missile system is thought to have intercepted four rockets over Tel Aviv, with shrapnel falling in a residential neighbourhood. The Iron Dome has been deployed extensively this week, activated to intercept about 27 per cent of rockets fired with a reported 90 per cent success rate. The IDF yesterday estimated that Hamas has an arsenal of around 6,000 rockets.
Also yesterday, IDF forces foiled a second attempted infiltration by sea at Zikim beach, just north of the Gaza Strip. Two Hamas divers were detected before soldiers opened fire. The incident comes just a day after IDF troops killed several attackers thought to be targeting Kibbutz Zikim.
Meanwhile, Israel struck 320 targets in the Gaza Strip in a 24 hour period, by air and sea, in the ongoing attempt to quell rocket fire. Overnight, 58 Hamas tunnels, 220 underground rocket launchers, and 46 command and control facilities – many located in the homes of senior Hamas commanders were destroyed. According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, at least 53 Palestinians have been killed since Operation Protective Edge commenced. The IDF confirmed that three Islamic Jihad operatives were killed this morning. Palestinian reports say 14 people were killed overnight.
Israel is continuing to amass ground forces near the Gaza border as leaders continue to consider the possibility of a ground operation. Reports say that Nahal infantry forces have joined the Paratroopers and Givati infantry brigades in the area.