Gazan rockets targeted southern Israeli communities early Thursday, starting with the town of Sderot and nearby communities Nir Am and Ibim.
Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense shot down the rocket targeting Sderot, as the first siren sounded at 2:38 am local time. The Israel Defense Forces said planes were attacking the Hamas-controlled Palestinian enclave in response.
The targets included storage sites of raw chemicals used by the terrorist organization to produce missiles, the military spokesperson’s unit said in a tweet, later releasing footage of the strike.
Another alert came 10 minutes later in Be’eri, a kibbutz also just miles from the Gaza Strip, but further south. Sirens followed throughout the night in Kfar Aza nearby.
On Wednesday, another rocket was intercepted by Israel’s missile defense system, as the treatment of Palestinian prisoners comes under scrutiny during an escalation in tensions.
Israeli forces operating in the West Bank scored damaging blows to Palestinian terrorist groups in recent week, which was met with deadly attacks in Yerushalayim.
Last Friday, Palestinian terrorists fired another barrage of rockets was launched, which was met by another Israeli airstrike.
International calls to end the escalation have so far failed, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the sides to limit provocations in a recent visit to Israel. -I24 nEWS
