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Israel on Sunday deployed an Iron Dome missile defense system in the Tel Aviv area following the escalation of Gaza this weekend.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was announced on Saturday night, after nearly 200 projectiles were fired at Israeli communities from Gaza. Despite the agreement, a number of rockets have been fired overnight from Gaza, and Israel said it attacked Palestinians in Gaza who launched airborne firebombs from Gaza on Sunday.
Also on Sunday, the security cabinet ordered the military to continue responding to airborne firebombs launched from Gaza to Israel.
Ealier, the Israeli Air Force attacked Hamas militants who, according to the army, were launching incendiary balloons. No casualties have been reported.
"We have prepared a large number of targets that will surprise Hamas, targets such as terrorist tunnels, the Beit Lahia battalion in which we attacked about twenty buildings and a multi-storey building in the center of the city. Gaza Strip as a training center with a tunnel underneath, "said a senior air force officer on Sunday.
IDF made the decision on Saturday that the attack, although it takes place during the day, has prevented the loss of life, both civilian casualties and Hamas losses if possible. The operation was conducted from IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv and to avoid results that would lead to escalation of the situation.
Dozens of Israeli planes participated in the strikes and dropped about 100 bombs on dozens of Hamas targets.
"The attack yesterday was not strong compared to the capabilities of the air force," said the senior officer. "But we have a very large arsenal of targets that we know how to operate during the day and night.We have good intelligence and excellent cooperation with the Southern Command.So it is decided that it will not be calm in the south, so we know how to act effectively in a way that will bring calm, "he added.
The IDF is still struggling to attack cells that fire mortar shells and launch rockets. Attempts were made to attack one of these cells on Saturday, but it is unclear whether they were affected. On Sunday, we learn that the launcher itself was damaged but not what happened to the militants who threw the projectiles.
The Air Force considers the last round of combat as an operational success. The targets have been met, but at this point, the IDF is still waiting to learn how Hamas will react, said the senior official. But it seems for the moment that despite Saturday's attacks, Hamas has not lost any major badets that have damaged its capabilities and led it to rethink its course.
Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas following criticism from the right, claiming that Israel would not allow the pursuit of incendiary kites and balloons launched from Gaza. "We hit Hamas in a significant and hard way, our policy is clear: anyone who hurts us, we will hit them with great force."
Netanyahu added, "The IDF has been the hardest hit in Hamas since Operation Protective Edge, I hope they understood the message, otherwise they will have it more later. "
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that Israel would not stand by while Hamas launched "rockets, kites, unmanned drones or anything".
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