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Israel pounds Gaza targets in response to Hamas rocket attacks

Israel’s Air Force responded to the increasing terrorist rocket fire from Gaza that forced Israeli residents in the south to run for cover late Saturday night. 

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News
Iron Dome

An Iron Dome battery intercepts rocket fire from Gaza. (Edi Israel/Flash90)

Terrorists from Hamas-ruled Gaza launched rockets at Israel’s civilian population in southern Israel Saturday night, sending tens of thousands of civilians running for shelter.

The rocket was intercepted over the city of Ashkelon by Israel’s Iron Dome anti-rocket defense system, causing no injuries or damage.

Another four rockets were reportedly launched, but fell short of its target inside Gaza.

In response, the Israel Air Force (IAF) attacked two Hamas terror sites in the northern Gaza Strip. According to a statement by the IDF, the sites were munitions production facilities. The IDF added it “will continue to respond with severity to any attempts to disturb the calm in southern Israel.”

Israel holds Hamas responsible for all attacks emanating from Gaza, which is under Hamas control, and therefore retaliated against the terror organization’s infrastructure.

Medical sources from within Gaza claim that a woman and her daughter were killed when a building collapsed as a result of the attack.

Earlier on Saturday, terrorists fired a rocket at Israel’s Eshkol region in the south. The rocket landed in an open space, causing no damage.

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No terror organization took responsibility for the attack, but the sharp increase in rocket fire from the Strip over recent months has mostly been the work of an ISIS affiliate operating out of Gaza.

The IAF has deployed Iron Dome batteries throughout the south and as far as Be’ersheva in recent days due to the increasing violence in Israel and in anticipation of such attacks.

These attacks followed other rocket attacks in the past several weeks and amid a wave of deadly terror attacks in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria.

Since the beginning of 2015, terrorists fired over 15 rockets at Israeli targets from Gaza. Several others were launched, albeit unsuccessfully, with some landing in the Strip.