Israeli warplanes on Friday struck some 100 Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip in response to a rare rocket attack on the Israeli metropolis of Tel Aviv. Rocket fire persisted throughout the morning, setting the stage for additional possible reprisals.
The Israel Defense Forces said that its targets had included an office complex in Gaza City used to plan and command Hamas terrorist activities, an underground complex that served as Hamas' main rocket-manufacturing site, and a center used for Hamas drone development. There were no reports of casualties.
The late-night attack on Tel Aviv, Israel's densely populated commercial and cultural capital, marked a dramatic escalation in hostilities. It was the first time the city had been targeted since a 2014 war between Israel and Gaza-based terrorists.
Hamas denied responsibility for the initial rocket attack, saying it went against Palestinian interests. But after a preliminary investigation, Israel said it had concluded that the terrorist group was behind the attack and had most likely fired the missiles by mistake.
"This [attack on central Israel] was basically a surprise," IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis told Israel Radio.
Another IDF spokesman laid the blame on Hamas on Friday.
"Hamas carried out the rocket fire against Tel Aviv yesterday evening," Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee said.
The latest flare-up drew a U.S. statement of support for Israel.
"Hamas and other terror orgs in Gaza continue to fail their people day after day & drag Gaza further & further down by constantly choosing violence," Jason Greenblatt, the White House's Middle East envoy, said on Twitter. "This method will never work. Ever!"
Witnesses said powerful explosions from the air strikes rocked buildings in Gaza and lit the skies over targeted sites. Following the Israeli airstrike, several rockets were launched into Israel from Gaza. The IDF said several rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome air-defense systems, and there were no reports of injuries.
The fighting broke out as Egyptian mediators were in Gaza trying to broker an expanded cease-fire deal between the sides. Late Thursday, Gaza media outlets said the mediators had left the territory.
The initial blasts from the Israeli airstrikes in southern Gaza were so powerful that smoke could be seen in Gaza City, 25 kilometers (16 miles) to the north. The Israeli warplanes could be heard roaring through the skies above Gaza City.
The sudden outburst of fighting comes at a sensitive time for both sides. Israel is holding national elections in less than a month. Netanyahu is locked in a tight fight for re-election and could face heavy criticism from his opponents if he is seen as ineffective against the terrorists in Gaza.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett of the New Right party called on the prime minister to convene a gathering of his security cabinet and demand the army "present a plan to defeat Hamas once and for all."
Likewise, Hamas has come under rare public criticism in Gaza for the harsh conditions in the territory. An Israeli-Egyptian blockade, combined with sanctions by the rival Palestinian Authority and mismanagement by the Hamas government have fueled an economic crisis in the territory. Residents have little desire for another war with Israel.
Hamas announced that due to the sensitive security situation it had canceled the "March of Return" border demonstrations it holds every Friday, in which Palestinians routinely clash with IDF soldiers along the border with Gaza.
In an unusual step that further indicated Hamas was attempting to prevent further escalation, the Hamas Interior Ministry said the rocket fire went "against the national consensus" and promised to take action against the perpetrators.
Earlier Thursday, meanwhile, Hamas police violently broke up a small protest over the harsh living conditions in the Strip.
Earlier this week, Israel struck Hamas targets in Gaza in response to rocket fire on southern Israel, near the border.
Following those strikes, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning to Hamas, rejecting suggestions that Israel would be reluctant to take tough action in Gaza ahead of national elections next month.
"I suggest to Hamas, don't count on it," he told his cabinet. "We will do anything necessary to restore security and quiet to the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip and to the south in general."
