The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said it launched more than 35 airstrikes targeting the militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, after approximately 70 rockets and mortars were fired toward Israeli territory Tuesday morning.
At least 25 incoming projectiles were intercepted by its iron dome air defense system, the IDF said earlier in the day.
Israel said three of its soldiers were injured, two lightly and a third moderately, in the militant fire from Gaza. In one of the day’s first barrages, one of the mortars landed in the yard of a kindergarten, which was empty at the time because school had not started.
The IDF said that Israeli air force planes had attacked over targets in seven locations belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, including “six military compounds, munition storage warehouses, naval targets, and terror headquarters.”
IDF says Islamic Jihad responsible
In a significant move, Israel singled out Islamic Jihad as the militant group that carried out Tuesday’s attacks.
In a statement, the IDF said the action was a “severe, dangerous, and orchestrated act of terror, aimed at Israeli civilians and children.”
Islamic Jihad “follows the ideology of Iran, is funded by Iran, and in today’s attack, used munition made by Iran,” the statement said.
But the IDF statement also repeated Israel’s often-stated position that it continues to hold Hamas — the militant group that controls Gaza — accountable for everything that happens in the Gaza Strip. “Hamas has the ability to escalate or deescalate the situation,” the statement said.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad claimed joint responsibility for the attacks.
In a statement issued by the militant groups’ armed wings, the Al-Qassam Brigades and the Al-Quds Brigades respectively, the two groups blamed Israel for starting the latest round of aggression and said they had cooperated in launching the attacks because Israel’s “crimes could not be tolerated in any way.”
The statement said that if Israel continued to attack Gaza then “all resistance options remain open no matter what the cost.”
There have been no reports of any fatalities or injuries arising from Israel’s airstrikes from either the Palestinian Ministry of Health or from the militant groups themselves.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier promised a significant military response of “great force.”
Israel and the United States considers Hamas a terrorist organization.
UN chief Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov expressed his deep concern at what he called “indiscriminate firing” by Gaza militants towards communities in southern Israel.
“Such attacks are unacceptable and undermine the serious efforts by the international community to improve the situation in Gaza. All parties must exercise restraint, avoid escalation and prevent incidents that jeopardize the lives of Palestinians and Israelis,” Mladenov said in a statement.
Palestinian boat intercepted
Also Tuesday, the Israeli navy intercepted a Palestinian boat that set sail from Gaza aiming to breach Israel’s naval blockade of the enclave, the IDF said. The IDF said there were about 17 people on board. It said the boat was apprehended peacefully and had been towed to the Israeli port of Ashdod.
The protests were intended to highlight Palestinian demands to return to homes and villages they lost during the creation of the state of Israel seven decades ago, and were given a boost by the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem on May 14. Israel said the protests were orchestrated by Hamas and presented a security threat to people living nearby.
CNN’s Angela Dewan wrote from London. Ameera Ahmed and Ibrahim Dahman contributed from Gaza; Abeer Salman contributed from Jerusalem; Hamdi Alkhshali and Darran Simon contributed from Atlanta.
Source : Nbcnewyork
