Terrorists launched two rockets at Israel on Thursday after the Israeli Air Force struck Hamas positions in response to Palestinian arson attacks.
By World Israel News Staff
According to reports from the Israeli military, Gaza-based Palestinian terrorists launched two rockets into Israel in the early morning hours on Thursday, both of which fell in open areas causing no injuries.
Prior to the rocket fire, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck a Hamas base in response to a number of arson balloons launched from the coastal enclave, which entered Israeli territory and caused fires in the Eshkol region on Wednesday.
Since March 2018, Palestinians have used airborne incendiary devices to start massive blazes in Israel, causing millions of dollars in damage by scorching thousands of acres of farmland and nature preserves. On Wedneday, a balloon carried an incendiary device into Kibbutz Nahal Oz in the Sha’ar Hanegev region, causing a fire there.
On Thursday morning, the IAF tweeted, “The IDF views any attempt to harm Israeli civilians with great severity and will continue operating against these attacks. The Hamas terror organization is responsible for all events transpiring in the Gaza Strip and emanating from it.”
There were no reports of Palestinian injuries from the IAF strike.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military deployed additional Iron Dome missile defense batteries throughout the nation in response to a Monday night Palestinian rocket attack. The IDF identified Palestinian Islamic Jihad as responsible for firing the rocket. The attack appeared part of the Iranian proxy’s efforts to scuttle the Israel-Hamas ceasefire Egypt is brokering.
The Iron Dome deployment was also seen as a cautionary measure prior to the arrival of thousands of visitors and press from around the world for the Eurovision song contest in May. The Hamas terror group recently issued an ultimatum that if Israel doesn’t immediately acquiesce to the financial and logistical demands outlined in the evolving Egyptian-brokered ceasefire agreement, it will launch attacks and resume border riots during the popular musical competition.