The elusive chief of the navy wing of Hamas says the armed group has launched a brand new navy operation in opposition to Israel.
In a uncommon public assertion, Mohammed Deif mentioned 5000 rockets had been fired into Israel early on Saturday to start ‘Operation Al-Aqsa Storm’.
Israel additionally reported an infiltration from Gaza.
“We have determined to say sufficient is sufficient,” Deif mentioned as he urged all Palestinians to confront Israel.
Deif, who has survived a number of Israeli assassination makes an attempt, doesn’t make public appearances.
His message was delivered in a recording.
Rockets are fired towards Israel from Gaza, 7 October 2023. Supply: AP / AP
The Israeli navy mentioned it was putting targets within the Gaza Strip as air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem.
The sounds of at the least three explosions might be heard as Israel deployed anti-rocket defences.
The most recent rocket launches observe weeks of heightened tensions alongside Israel’s border with Gaza.
It gave no additional particulars, however novice movies posted on social media confirmed what gave the impression to be uniformed gunmen contained in the Israeli border city of Sderot.
The sound of gunfire might be heard within the movies, whose authenticity couldn’t instantly be verified.
The sound of outgoing rockets whooshing by the air might be heard in Gaza on Saturday and sirens wailed as distant as Tel Aviv, some 70km to the north, throughout an early morning barrage that lasted greater than half-hour.
Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue company mentioned a 70-year-old girl was critically injured when a rocket hit a constructing in southern Israel.
Elsewhere, a 20-year-old man was reasonably injured by rocket shrapnel, it mentioned.
Because the rocket assaults continued all through southern and central Israel, tens of millions of Israelis have been instructed to remain close to bomb shelters of their houses and condominium buildings.
The military mentioned residents subsequent to Gaza ought to keep of their houses because of the “safety incident”.
Israeli firefighters extinguish fireplace after a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit a parking zone in Ashkelon, southern Israel, 7 October, 2023. Supply: AP / AP
Palestinian media in Gaza reported a doable try by militants to infiltrate Israel, however no additional particulars have been instantly identified.
The launches got here after weeks of heightened tensions alongside Israel’s unstable border with Gaza, and heavy preventing within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution.
Israel has maintained a blockade over Gaza since Hamas, an Islamic militant group that opposes Israel, seized management of the territory in 2007.
The bitter enemies have fought 4 wars since then.
Palestinian assaults on Israeli targets have killed greater than 30 folks up to now this 12 months.
There have additionally been quite a few rounds of smaller preventing between Israel and Hamas and different smaller militant teams primarily based in Gaza.
The blockade, which restricts the motion of individuals and items out and in of Gaza, has devastated the territory’s economic system.
Israel says the blockade is required to maintain militant teams from build up their arsenals.
The Palestinians say the closure quantities to collective punishment.
The rocket fireplace comes throughout a interval of heavy preventing within the West Financial institution, the place nearly 200 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli navy raids this 12 months.
Israel says the raids are geared toward militants, however stone-throwing protesters and other people uninvolved within the violence have additionally been killed.
Palestinian assaults on Israeli targets have killed greater than 30 folks.
The tensions have additionally unfold to Gaza, the place Hamas-linked activists held violent demonstrations alongside the Israeli border in current weeks.
