Smoke trails are seen in the sky after rocket fire from the eastern Gaza Strip towards Israel last year. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)
Israeli military reports rocket intercepted en route to southern city of Sderot; IDF warns Gazans in northern Strip of impending operation following rocket fire.
By World Israel News Staff
The Israeli military on Tuesday morning called for mass evacuations in parts of the northern Gaza Strip, after terrorists operating in the area launched a rocket towards southern Israel.
At 8:36 a.m., warning sirens were sounded in the southwestern Israeli towns of Sderot, Ibim, and Or HaNer.
An IDF spokesperson later said that single rocket launch had been detected from the northern Gaza Strip towards Israeli territory.
The missile was successfully intercepted by Israel’s missile defense network, the spokesperson said.
The Magen David Adom emergency first responder organization said that it has not received any reports of injuries or damage as a result of the rocket attack.
Later Tuesday morning, the IDF’s chief Arabic language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, issued a statement urging Gazans living in parts of the northern Strip to evacuate.
A map accompanying his statement laid out the areas marked for evacuation.
“To all residents of the Gaza Strip in the areas of Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia, Sheikh Zayed, and the neighborhoods of Al-Manshiya and Tel Al-Zaatar,
this is your first and final warning before the raid!” Adraee tweeted.
“Terrorist organizations are returning and launching their rockets from among civilians. We have warned this area many times. For your own safety!”
The Palestinian Authority mouthpiece WAFA claimed Monday evening that IDF airstrikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 17 people.
WAFA reported additional strikes Tuesday morning, leaving several dead in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis.
In Lebanon, Israeli warplanes struck Hezbollah targets south of Beirut early Tuesday morning, after Hamas forces operating in Lebanon carried out a rocket attack on northern Israel.
Lebanon’s health ministry claimed at least three people were killed and seven injured in Tuesday’s strike.
The IDF announced that the strike had targeted a Hezbollah terrorist “who had recently directed Hamas operatives and assisted them.”
According to a report by the AFP news agency, which cited a member of Hezbollah, the Israeli strike had also targeted Hamas official Hassan Badir.
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