Over 150 rockets were fired towards Israel from Gaza on Wednesday, 25 of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, the Israeli military said, announcing retaliatory strikes against Hamas targets.
On Wednesday night IDF fighter jets attacked 12 Hamas targets along the Gaza Strip. One of the jets struck a factory that was being used to produce components intended for the construction of terrorist tunnels leading into Israel, the army said. Israeli fighters also struck a tunnel on the Mediterranean coast and targeted weapons and rocket manufacturing sites, as well as a military complex serving as a central logistic warehouse, the IDF noted.
The strikes come in retaliation for a barrage of rockets which forced thousands of Israelis to seek shelter along Gaza border towns. Approximately 150 rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip at Israel, the IDF said, adding that the Iron Dome aerial defense system intercepted 25 launches, with the majority of the projectiles striking open areas.
"The Hamas terrorist organization is responsible for everything in and out of the Gaza Strip and will bear the consequences for the acts of terror perpetrated against Israeli civilians," the IDF said.
The IDF posted some raw footage of the rocket attacks, from which at least 17 people were treated for bodily and shock injuries, Jerusalem Post reports. The city of Sderot has seen the most action throughout Wednesday, with at least four projectiles landing there.
The rocket launches come after an IDF tank struck a Hamas facility in Gaza on Tuesday, reportedly killing two members of Hamas’ military wing’s al-Nukhba elite unit and wounding six others. The IDF later suggested the incident was a misunderstanding, as the tank returned fire in response to the shots fired as part of a ceremony of the al-Qassam Brigades, which were not deliberately aimed at Israeli soldiers, Haaretz reported.
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On Wednesday, an IDF tank again struck Hamas posts in Gaza after gunmen opened fire at a civilian vehicle involved in the construction of a barrier along the border. No injuries were reported as a result of the gunfire.
As alert sirens continued to go off in southern Israel, Hamas issued a statement saying “We are delivering on our promise. The resistance accepted the responsibility to even the playing field with the enemy and it is succeeding in doing so.”
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