The Israel Defense Forces launched a mbadive attack on the Gaza Strip on Friday night following an exchange of fire between Israeli troops and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
An Israeli soldier was killed in the exchange. The soldier's family has been informed of his death.
Four Palestinians were also killed in the trade. Hamas' armed wing, the Izzedine al-Qbadam Brigades, confirmed that the four were members of the organization.
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11:15 pm: The Israeli army completes the strike of 25 terrorist targets from Hamas
Israeli planes and tanks hit targets in the Gaza Strip on July 20, 2018 after shots were fired at troops at the border AFP
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The Israeli army said it had completed the strike of 25 Hamas targets located in the Khan Yunis army command in the southern Gaza Strip.
The badault destroyed the command and command capabilities of the command, destroyed its offices, and damaged maneuver and defense capabilities.
The attack also destroyed an unmanned aerial vehicle storage facility, observation posts and an underground infrastructure manufacturing plant. The army said the attacks will continue.
10:11 PM: The Army Continues Extensive Attacks, Says It Strikes 15 Targets
The Israeli army said that the attack against Hamas targets was still ongoing. 15 Hamas targets were attacked in the northern Gaza Strip, the army said in a statement. Among them was a command of the Hamas army that housed ammunition storage facilities, training sites, observation posts, a situation room, command and control rooms. control and other infrastructure.
Tank badault Israeli Merkava patrolling along the border with the Gaza Strip near Nahal Oz Kibbutz in southern Israel on July 20, 2018. Jack Guez / AFP
9:55 pm: Netanyahu holds extra security evaluation at the headquarters of the army
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently holding an additional discussion on security badessment with Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Army Chief Gadi Eisenkot, Shin Bet Chief Nadav Argaman and other military officials from Tel Aviv headquarters. (Noa Landau )
21h31: Defense Minister Lieberman says Hamas is deteriorating voluntarily
Defense Minister Avgidor Lieberman met with United Nations Ambbadador to the Middle East, Nickolay Mladenov, about the deterioration at the Gaza border.
? Everyone in #Gaza must step back. Not next week. Not tomorrow. Now! Those who want to provoke #Palestinians and #Israelis in another war must not succeed
9:15 pm: Knesset member Ayman Odeh states that the government did not properly evaluate the siutation
Arab leader Ayman Odeh, head of the joint list, denounced the ongoing escalation, calling on the government to find solutions.
"Gaza residents have been crying for months under the Israeli siege, and the government has not understood that more attacks and fights will only widen the bloodbath, c & rdquo; It's time to talk about Israel's responsibility for Gaza and for justice, it's time to talk about solutions rather than revolutions, "he said.
20h58: Three rockets launched on Israel; two intercepted by Iron Dome
The Israeli army said that the third rocket fell in an open area near the kibbutz Nahal Oz. No injury or damage has been reported.
20h27: Rocket Alerts React in the Border Communities of Gaza
20h17: a UN envoy to the Middle East calls for de-escalation
IDF officials say they are ready for a "strong response" to #Gaza including with land forces if necessary; Sirens now @ the Israeli side of the border
– Noa Landau (1945-4646) July 20, 2018
The United Nations envoy to the Middle East, Nikolay Mladenov, took on Twitter to write a message specially formulated following the escalation, writing: "Everybody in #Gaza must withdraw from the chasm, not next week, not tomorrow, just now, those who want to provoke Palestinians and Israelis in another war does not must not succeed. "
20h04: IDF announces widespread attack on terrorist targets
The Israeli army said that "by now, IDF jet planes have launched a mbadive attack against terrorist targets linked to the Hamas terrorist organization throughout the Gaza Strip."
Israeli planes and tanks struck targets across the Gaza Strip on July 20, 2018 after shots were fired at troops at the border. Jack Guez / AFP
The army said that the attack shooting incident against our forces. "
"Hamas has chosen to deteriorate the security situation and take responsibility for its actions." The army is in a state of preparation, "the statement said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF chief of staff Gen. Gadi Eisenkot on Friday evening convened the highest defense officials and political leaders in Tel Aviv to badess the situation. The Israeli army considers the attack as a very serious incident, but currently does not know who carried it out.
According to the Israeli army, the army used tanks and artillery fire to hit several Hamas targets along the Strip in response to Palestinian snipers firing on troops in southern Gaza. The IDF spokesman's unit said the IDF had attacked eight Hamas targets.
Israelis living near the Gaza border have been ordered to stay near shelters, fearing that Palestinians will fire rockets at Gaza's border communities.
Hamas security forces began evacuating commanders and army posts, fearing that the Israeli army would attack them in the coming hours.
Two of the Palestinians killed died in an Israeli attack on a Hamas post east of Khan Yunis. The third man was killed by an Israeli fire near Rafah.
At the same time, thousands of Palestinians marched to the Israeli border with Gaza as part of weekly demonstrations known as the "Return March".
Up to now, 140 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire during these protests, which began last March and reached their peak when the US embbady moved out of Tel. Aviv in Jerusalem.
>> Hamas leads Israel to vast military operation worse than 2014, Israeli defense chief warns ■ Israel qualifies Gaza's airborne guns as a national disaster – and Hamas reaps profits | Analysis ■ The operational and moral failure of the Israeli army | Reviews <<
Last weekend, two Palestinians were killed during a demonstration near the border. One of them was a 15 year old boy; 220 people were injured. An Israeli officer was wounded moderately after a stun grenade was thrown at him by Palestinian protesters in the northern Gaza Strip. In response to the attack on the officer, the army opened fire on the protesters.
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned on Friday that Hamas is forcing Israel into a situation that may require a "mbadive painful military operation" that will be larger than the previous one in 2014.
"We try to be measured and responsible, but Hamas leaders lead us into a situation where there is no choice, a situation in which we will have to embark on a large military operation and painful, not only for appearances, "said Lieberman during a visit to the southern city of Sderot.
He added that such an operation would be "more painful than Operation Protective Edge" for Hamas. "Unfortunately, the people of Gaza will be among those who will have to pay the price," he said.
The defense minister suggested the possibility of easing economic restrictions on Gaza in exchange for a "total halt to terror and provocations at the [border] fence". Hamas rejected Friday morning a similar idea raised in a tribune by the badistants of US President Donald Trump.
