Israeli jets carried out airstrikes in the Gaza Strip overnight Sunday in response to rocket fire at southern Israel. During the airstrike, another rocket was fired but was intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, after which IDF jets attacked additional targets in the Hamas-controlled coastal enclave.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
The army said its aircraft targeted four Hamas military positions during the raids, including a training facility, a weapons development and storage site, an underground tunnel, and a heavy machine gun nest that had directed fire toward Israel during the night.
The IDF posted video footage of the respective strikes on its official Twitter page.
תיעוד מתקיפות צה"ל ברצועת עזה הלילה: pic.twitter.com/nuT4h05JKy
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) September 13, 2021
Earlier Sunday, sirens blared in the city of Sderot as a rocket was fired at southern Israel for a third straight day. That rocket, too, was intercepted by the Iron Dome system.
Tensions between Israel and the Palestinians had risen over the past week, after six Palestinian terrorists escaped from a maximum-security Israeli jail last Monday. Israeli security forces have since captured four of the inmates.
Israel adheres to a policy of holding Hamas responsible for any fire from Gaza, irrespective of which terrorist organization was behind it, and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi warned armed groups in Gaza not to exacerbate tensions.
"If the situation escalates, Hamas and the Gaza Strip will pay a heavy price," he said during a naval ceremony on Sunday.
Egypt has been trying to broker an agreement. Hamas has demanded that Israel lift an economic blockade of Gaza, while Israel wants Hamas to release two Israeli civilians and return the remains of two dead Israeli soldiers it is holding.
Israel and Hamas have also not been able to agree upon a system for allowing Qatar to deliver welfare payments to thousands of Gaza families.
Hamas on Saturday castigated the Palestinian Authority over its decision to renege on a deal that would have seen Ramallah oversee the transfer of the Qatari aid funds to the Gaza Strip, saying the PA was interested in "prolonging the siege on Gaza."
The Palestinian Authority announced the move on Friday, citing concerns that the move would expose its banks to allegations of financing terrorism.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
