On Wednesday morning, the IDF spokesperson published visual evidence that the rocket attacks targeting Tel Aviv on Tuesday were launched from the humanitarian zone in Khan Younis.
"This incident further illustrates how Hamas positions its military assets in close proximity to civilian buildings and populations, effectively using them as human shields," the IDF spokesperson stated.
In swift response to the Hamas rocket fire, Israeli Air Force aircraft conducted strikes on terror targets in the launch area.
Hamas' armed wing later released a statement confirming its operatives had fired two M90 rockets toward the Tel Aviv region. A high-ranking Hamas official told Al Jazeera: "We launched the rockets at Tel Aviv from an area with a heavy Israeli military presence."
Of the two rockets fired, one failed to cross the Gaza border, while the other landed in the Mediterranean Sea.
The ongoing war in Gaza began on Oct. 7, when Hamas terrorists stormed Israeli towns bordering the strip, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking over 240 hostage. Some 115 remain held captive by the terror organization, of whom 41 have been declared dead.
On Monday, the US expressed confidence that the Gaza ceasefire negotiations set for Thursday would move forward as planned, maintaining that an agreement remained within reach. Axios reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is slated to depart Tuesday for talks in Qatar, Egypt, and Israel.
Israel's government has confirmed it will send representatives to Thursday's discussions to hammer out the details of the agreement proposal. However, Hamas has decided to abstain from these negotiations. A Hamas official told Reuters that the organization's "statement the other day was clear: what is needed is the implementation, not more negotiation."
