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Strike in Gaza (archives)
Photo: AFP

IAF strikes 3 Gaza tunnels

Attacks come in response to Qassam rockets fired at southern Israel Tuesday evening. Military says targets hit, says 'IDF holds Hamas terror fully organization responsible for maintaining calm in south'

IAF jets struck three arms smuggling tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip over night, in response to the Qassam rockets fired at Israel Tuesday evening.

 

The IDF Spokesperson's Unit reported the targets were hit and all jets returned to their bases safely. There were no reports of injuries from Gaza.

 

The attack came in response to the two Qassam rockets fired at southern Israel on Tuesday. The IDF said the military "holds the Hamas terror organization fully responsible for maintaining calm in Israel's southern communities and will respond harshly to any attempt to violate it."

 

Tuesday evening, around 7 pm, a Qassam rocket landed near one of the communities in Eshkol Regional Council. About an hour-and-a-half later, another rocket exploded in an open area south of Ashkelon.

 

In both incidents there were no reports of injury or damage to property.

 

"I am not ruling out the possibility that Hamas is testing our nerves and level of preparedness," Ashkelon Coast Regional Council head Yair Farjun told Ynet, "Our response must be swift and powerful. We cannot allow the current situation to continue."

 

The situation in the southern front has deteriorated over recent months, after a period of relative calm. On Monday Israeli jets struck a rocket ready for launching in the northern Gaza Strip, after Palestinians launched three rockets at the western Negev on Yom Kippur. No one was injured and no damage was caused.

 

On Sunday, Palestinian gunmen fired a mortar shell at Israel. The shell exploded in an open area within the Eshkol Regional Council; there were no reports of damage or injury.

 

IDF forces responded by firing two mortar shells at the source of the attack. The previous day, a Qassam rocket fell within the borders of Eshkol Regional Council, after the IAF struck and killed three Islamic Jihad operatives planning to launch rockets at Israel.

 


פרסום ראשון: 09.30.09, 07:47
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