Israel's Air Force has carried out a series of air strikes against terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip, following dozens of rockets fired by Hamas on Israeli territory. The Islamist group which has run the coastal enclave since 2007 said it had responded to "Zionist aggression", after accusing Israel of killing five of its fighters. Israel denied the claim. The operation 'Protective Edge' will be expanded in the coming days.
In a statement, the IDF said it was seeking to "retrieve stability to the residents of southern Israel, eliminate Hamas' capabilities and destroy terror infrastructure operating against the State of Israel and its civilians."
Nearly 300 rockets and mortars have been fired at Israel in recent weeks, including a barrage of close to 100 projectiles on Monday alone, the military said, a huge surge after years of relative quiet that followed a previous Israeli campaign to root out Gaza rocket launchers.
"We have repeatedly warned Hamas that this must stop and Israel's defense forces are currently acting to put an end of this once and for all," said Mark Regev, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The rockets hit several major cities in the south and, also for the first time in the current fighting, caused alarms to go off in central Israel and Jerusalem. The barrages wounded two Israelis and caused property damage.
The IDF called up 1,500 infantry and Border Police reservists in preparation for further escalation, after the Security Cabinet decided on Monday afternoon to intensify attacks against Hamas and other terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip. A senior official told 'Haaretz' that ministers wanted to refrain from a large-scale military operation for now, but they had instructed the army to prepare for significant expansion of its current operations.
Palestinian officials said Gaza was bracing for further Israeli attacks. They said Hamas had evacuated likely targets and its leaders had gone underground lest Israel attempt to assassinate them. Hamas also issued a statement on Monday night demanding that the Palestinian Authority take action against Israel, saying “national unity sometimes requires paying a price.”
Obama: 'Dangerous moment'
In an opinion piece published Tuesday in 'Haaretz', US President Obama called it a "dangerous moment" for the region. He said he couldn't imagine the pain suffered by the parents of the three Israeli teens, but was also heartbroken by the senseless murder of a Palestinian teenager who many suspect was killed in revenge. "All parties must protect the innocent and act with reasonableness and restraint, not vengeance and retribution," Obama wrote. His comments were published in Hebrew, Arabic and English.
