The Israeli army launched an air raid on the besieged Gaza Strip in the early hours of Thursday. The multiple attacks followed news that rockets originating from Gaza had landed near southern Israeli settlements.
The Palestine Chronicle correspondent in the Strip said that Israeli jets targeted with five missiles a position that belongs to the Resistance in the central Gaza Strip.
Another Palestinian position was also attacked, this time the Badr camp south of Gaza city.
The Palestinian Resistance in Gaza also announced that it has launched surface to air missiles against the Israeli warplanes. The reference is to a new, small mobile rocket launcher, which Hamas has introduced to its defenses in recent days.
Israeli media said that sirens were heard in several Israeli settlements bordering the Gaza Strip.
The National Resistance Brigades in Gaza also announced that it has targeted Israeli settlements with a number of rockets, the Palestine Chronicle correspondent said.
The escalation followed a call by Israel’s new national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir for an urgent security cabinet meeting to discuss a response to the Palestinian rockets.
Since the start of the new year, at least 35 Palestinians have been killed, 10 of whom in a single Israeli raid targeting the Jenin areas in the northern West Bank. Later, a Palestinian also attacked Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank killing seven.
The Palestinian casualties included eight children.
