On Saturday, 50 rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip into Israel. This was the most concentrated attack from Gaza since the Israeli invasion in late 2008. What is more surprising than the attack is the fact that Hamas has taken credit. Hamas typically denies involvement, at least directly, into such acts. Credit was taken by Hamas’ military arm, the Kassam Martyrs Brigade.
Hamas claims that this attack was in retaliation for the recent air attacks from Israel into Gaza. Israel immediately retaliated with strong force. Two Israelis and at least five Palestinians were injured in the exchange.
Also on Saturday, Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinians and a grad rocket landed in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon. Several people were treated for shock. This followed the launching of several grad rockets from Gaza into Be’er Sheva last month.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has instructed the Israeli envoy to the UN to lodge a complaint on Israel’s behalf. He wrote a message along with the request which included the following statement: “The offensive this morning, which took place while the Palestinian Authority and Hamas were speaking about reunification, shows that the international support for a Palestinian state that the Palestinians are trying to garner, would actually be support for the creation of a terrorist state”
Today, Israel bombed a tunnel that was being built between Gaza and Israel. The IDF claims that the tunnel was to be used to smuggle terrorists into Israel in order to attack civilians.
Today, the Kassam Martyrs Brigade released a statement calling for a cessation of attacks between the two parties. The statement said that if Israel ceases attacks, “we [Hamas] will be obligated to a cessation as well.”
Israel has made no response at this time.
