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Israel hits Hamas targets after missiles fired from Gaza
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) bombed Hamas targets late last night after two missiles and a mortar were fired into Israel.
Hamas officials have said the attack was not condoned by the organisation, and was carried out by a rogue operative or cell, according to a Palestinian report.
Israel responded at around 23:30 with airstrikes against Hamas targets across the Gaza Strip. The IDF said its aircraft targeted a Hamas military complex and weapons manufacturing facility in Khan Younis. Hamas widened the range of its missiles when it launched two missiles at South Ashkelon; one at around midnight and one at approximately 4am. The Iron Dome missile defence system intercepted both.
Earlier in the day, Hamas launched airborne incendiary devices and a number Palestinians broke through the Gaza security fence and set fire to an empty Israeli army position.
Although there have been no more missiles attacks or airstrikes this morning, a senior Israeli political official was quoted in Israel media saying: “There is no ceasefire agreement, and there won’t be one; fighting may break out at any moment, and it has been decided to reinforce the troops and be prepared to continue.”
On Tuesday afternoon, the UN’s Middle East Coordinator, Nickolay Mladenov, urged all sides “to exercise maximum restraint as the situation remains very tense” but said a “fragile calm seems to have taken hold”. Egypt is expected to continue ceasefire talks today.
Writing in Haaretz, Amos Harel says that if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to stop the fighting, “he has taken a political risk because his rivals have already begun attacking him over his government’s lack of action against Hamas”. But, Harel continues, Netanyahu “hasn’t concealed his reservations about a major operation in Gaza … he knows such an operation could involve sending in ground forces and suffering casualties on the eve of elections”.
New Right leader Naftali Bennett said: “If you run from terror – the terror will follow you.” He called on the Prime Minister to “give the order … to neutralise and defeat Hamas”. Residents of the western Negev demonstrated at Nir Am junction last night in protest against the Government’s response so far.