Hamas: We fired Qassams toward Israel
At least 16 Qassams fired early Saturday toward Sderot, other western Negev areas; member of Hamas' armed wing says, ‘next time rockets will be longer in range; they will hit places deeper inside Zionist entity’
At least 16 Qassam rockets were fired early Saturday toward Sderot and other western Negev areas; no injuries or damage were reported.
A member of Hamas’ armed wing told Reuters that the group fired rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip for the first time since agreeing to a truce 16 months ago.
“This is only the start and rocket firings will continue,” a spokesman for Hamas’ Izz el-Din al-Qassam Brigades said.
“Next time, the rockets will be longer in range and they will hit places deeper inside the Zionist entity. The attacks come in response to the Zionist crimes and the killings of civilians in Gaza,” he said.
Hamas' armed wing vowed on Friday to renew attacks against Israel hours after IDF artillery shells killed seven civilians.
"The Israeli massacres represent a direct opening battle and that means the earthquake in the Zionist cities will resume and the herds of occupiers have no choice but to prepare the coffins or the departing luggage," the group said in a statement.
For the first time since the August withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the IDF targeted a Hamas cell involved in firing Qassam rockets into Israel on Friday afternoon.
Mohammad Abu Sahila, a Hamas military commander, and his assistant, Ahmad Siam, were injured when a missile fired by an Israeli helicopter hit their car in Gaza's Jabaliya refugee camp.
Hamas' political leadership has not immediately comment on the statement.
Reuters contributed to the report
