[ad_1]
Ruth Eglash
Reporter covering Israel and the Palestinian territories
JERUSALEM – In the worst outbreak of violence since Israel and Hamas waged a 50-day war in the summer of 2014, Israeli military planes shelled targets in the Palestinian coastal enclave, while that militant groups in Gaza hit the Israeli communities with rockets and mortar shells all night and until Tuesday. .
The latest outbreak in an already tense arena was sparked by Israel 's covert covert military operation in Gaza, which proved deadly Sunday night. Authorities on both sides reported new deaths on Tuesday morning.
In Israel, one person was killed and two others seriously injured when a rocket hit a four-storey residential building in Ashkelon city.
In Gaza, the Ministry of Health said seven people were killed in Israeli air strikes, including militants. Residents have uploaded photos of several important buildings allegedly destroyed by Israeli bombs.
At a press conference on Tuesday morning, Israeli army spokesman, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, said that it was "the attack the first time." more serious perpetration against Israeli civilians by terrorist organizations in Gaza since our 2014 operation ".
Nearly 400 projectiles, a mixture of rockets and mortars, have been fired on Israel since hostilities erupted Monday afternoon, he said. Much has been hit by the Iron Dome defense system, but given their high numbers, said Conricus, some have managed to hit homes and buildings directly.
A Palestinian boy stands beside the rubble of the building of Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV station, which was hit by Israeli airstrikes on Monday, November 13, 2018 in Gaza. (Photo AP / Khalil Hamra)
[After more than 2,100 deaths, the Gaza war ends where it began]
In response, Israeli military jets hit more than 100 sites across the Strip, including what Conricus called "four strategic assets belonging to Hamas". The five-storey building houses the Al-Aqsa TV channel run by Hamas, the militant group's internal security building. and an office building used by its military intelligence services was destroyed.
The army also said Tuesday that its naval forces had hit Hamas warships, as well as numerous weapons warehouses and manufacturing facilities. The sites belonged to both Hamas, the militant Islamist group that runs the Gaza Strip and the second largest militant faction in Gaza, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
"It is Israel that initiated this wave of violence," said Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official. "Israel has not respected all the efforts and agreements made to restore calm around the borders. Israel must take responsibility for its madness which has led to a total deterioration of the situation on the ground. "
"Gaza is still seeking calm and a better future," he said.
Abu Hamza, spokesman for the Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigades, said the night bombings, including on faction-owned houses, had led to "a decision to widen the circle of response" .
He warned residents of the Israeli cities of Beersheva and Ashdod "to stay by their shelters".
Egypt has urged Israel to stop the escalation of violence and is also working with the Palestinians to end hostilities, Egyptian television reported on Tuesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, remained silent since the beginning of the latest violence, summoned his security cabinet on Tuesday morning as residents of southern Israeli cities forced to stay indoors and nearby protected areas, expressed anger and frustration. In the long run, the diplomatic solution has not yet been found for the continuation of hostilities.
Israel and Hamas have waged three deadly wars in 10 years. Outbreaks have become increasingly frequent in recent months, with Hamas urging residents to demonstrate against the fence along the border with Israel.
Since March, more than 200 Palestinians have been killed, mainly by Israeli sniper fire, during weekly demonstrations protesting the increasingly difficult humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, where Israel imposes strict restrictions on trade and trips. Recent cuts in aid to the Palestinians by the United States have exacerbated their problems.
Israel maintains that the demonstrations are a cover for Hamas to introduce to Israel.
Gaza militants also used to float kites and incendiary balloons across the border, causing fires.
There was a glimmer of hope this past weekend that a long-term agreement aimed at restoring calm, thanks to the mediation of Egypt, the United Nations and Qatar, had brought its fruits. Israel on Thursday took the unusual decision to allow $ 15 million from Qatar to enter Gaza to pay the long-delayed salaries of Hamas officials, with the aim of alleviating the suffering of the $ 2 million. inhabitants of the territory.
[Botched Israeli army operation in Gaza triggers sharp escalation in violence]
This deal seems to have been broken by this secret Israeli operation that took place on Sunday night. General Gadi Eisenkot, Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, said that a team of infiltrators was participating in a "very significant operation for Israeli security".
The unit, which was at least two miles inland from the Gaza Strip, was discovered, resulting in an exchange of fire between the soldiers and the Palestinian fighters. A senior Israeli officer was killed, along with seven Palestinian militants, including a Hamas commander.
The Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas military wing, said in a statement that the Israeli team was about 15 kilometers from Gaza in a civilian car when the fight broke out. Residents of the area east of Khan Younis City said that a group of Hamas fighters intercepted the vehicle carrying the Israelis to verify their identity. It was then that the Israeli unit fired on Nour Baraka, a local Hamas leader and another dead activist, he said.
Anticipating a deeper response after the incident, the Israeli army deployed additional infantry troops and anti-aircraft defenses at the border on Monday. In the afternoon, militant factions in Gaza launched hundreds of projectiles into Israeli territory. Several rockets hit residential buildings, while an anti-tank missile hit a bus carrying soldiers, the army said, seriously injuring a 19-year-old man.
Major-General Kamil Abu Rukun, coordinator of the Israeli government's activities in the Palestinian territories, said that Hamas had crossed a "red line" and that the army would "recall" its response.
He told Gazans to "watch carefully" the images of the 2014 war on the territory. "A picture is worth a thousand words," he said.
Balousha reported from Gaza City.
Read more
Israelis kill more than 50 Palestinians during protest against Gaza fence
[Tensions rise as Gaza militants fire more than 70 mortars, rockets into Israel]
[Tensions escalate as Israeli jets pound targets in Gaza in response to rocket fire]
Today's coverage of Swiss Post correspondents around the world
Love Washington Post World on Facebook and stay up to date on foreign news
[ad_2]Source link
