- One rocket fired from Gaza had been intercepted by the IDF
- Israeli fighter jets hit a chemical production plant and a weapons manufacturing facility.
- No casualties were reported.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza early Thursday after intercepting a rocket barrage from the coastal territory.
According to a tweet from the Israeli Defense Forces, Israeli fighter jets hit a chemical production plant and a weapons manufacturing facility held by Hamas, the Palestinian militant organization that rules Gaza.
“The IDF holds Hamas responsible for all terrorist activity emanating from Gaza and it will face the consequences of the security violations against Israel,” the IDF wrote.
The IDF claimed on Wednesday that one rocket fired from Gaza had been intercepted by the IDF Aerial Defense Array.
It posted two black-and-white films of the airstrikes on Thursday, showing massive plumes of dark smoke in the air and debris falling to the ground.
It’s unclear if there were any casualties.
According to the official Palestinian News & Information Agency, F-16 airplanes unleashed at least five missiles at a “site” in central Gaza, setting it on fire and destroying neighboring homes. According to the report, two missiles also struck agricultural areas in the central region.
The strike follows a period of violence on both sides. Last Thursday, Israeli soldiers killed nine Palestinians and injured numerous more in Jenin, West Bank, on the worst day for Palestinians in nearly two years. The shooting near a Jerusalem synagogue on Friday night was followed by one of Israel’s biggest terror strikes in recent years.
It also comes on the heels of US Secretary of State Antony Blicken’s visit to Israel and the West Bank earlier this week, which some hoped would help calm increasing tensions.
The Biden administration has been cautious in its wording and has worked to avoid openly criticizing Israel’s new government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and comprised of controversial far-right politicians.
Blinken restated the administration’s goal of a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians on Wednesday, saying the US “would continue to oppose anything that moves that goal further away.”
[embedpost slug=”/israel-arrests-dozens-after-deadly-synagogue-shooting/”]
