After some 36 rockets were launched from Gaza into Israeli territory, six of which were intercepted, an IDF tank attacked a Hamas outpost as IAF aircraft struck rocket launchers in retaliation on Friday night. Air Defense Artillery combat soldiers intercepted six of the rockets launched towards Israel. While the majority fell in open areas, one of the rockets fell inside of a residential area, causing damage to an agricultural warehouse and equipment. An additional rocket was found in an agricultural area of the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. Air Defense units work to intercept rockets when they are expected to fall in residential areas.Rockets also fell inside Kibbutz Nahal Oz and on the access road to Kisufim.The first three launches were detected as coming from the Gaza Strip and falling near the town of Kisufim, in the Eshkol Regional Council. The IDF’s Iron Dome missile-defense system intercepted one of them. The other two fell in open areas near the border fence.Later on Friday night, at around 1:50 a.m., additional sirens were heard at Alumim, Be’eri, Kfar Maimon and Tushiya, in the Sdot Negev and Eshkol regional councils. Minutes later, more sirens were heard in Mivtahim, Amioz, Yesha, Nir Yitzhak, Tzohar and Ohad, all in the Eshkol Regional Council.
if(window.location.pathname.indexOf(“656089”) != -1){console.log(“hedva connatix”);document.getElementsByClassName(“divConnatix”)[0].style.display =”none”;}The IDF reported that four rockets were launched during the second barrage, two of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome system.
An IDF tank attacked a Hamas outpost in the Gaza Strip around 2:40 a.m. early on Saturday morning in retaliation after the second barrage and was immediately followed by another rocket which landed in an open area near Ashkelon.
Israeli families are taking cover in bomb shelters as an additional 5 rockets were just fired from Gaza toward southern Israel.We will protect them.— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 23, 2021
Overall, the IDF reported four rockets being intercepted by the Iron Dome system during the night.Slightly after 3 a.m., additional sirens were heard in Miflasim and Kfar Aza, in the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council.Another siren was heard near Nahal Oz in the council slightly before 4 a.m.After around an hour of silence, another rocket siren was heard on Saturday morning at around 5 a.m. near Kerem Shalom in the Eshkol Regional Council.
That was followed by six consecutive waves of rockets which set off sirens within the space of around 35 minutes, the first of which started at 5:27 a.m. near Alumim and Nahal Oz.
The IDF spokesperson announced at around 5:30 a.m. that IAF aircraft had begun attacking Hamas rocket launchers and underground infrastructures in retaliation.
A few minutes later, another rocket siren went off, this time in Nativ Ha’asara in the Ashkelon Beach Regional Council. Two minutes after that, another siren went off in Nativ Ha’asara and in Kissufim.
Another five minutes passed and two more sirens went off, both in Kissufim.
The head of the Eshkol Regional Council, Gad Yarkoni, commented on the events of the night, saying that “the unbearable ease with which these organizations allow themselves to shoot at the Gaza envelope and try to harm civilians is outrageous.”
Less than ten minutes passed before another large wave of rockets set off sirens, this time in the Ashkelon Industrial Zone, Zikim, Karmiya, Yad Mordechai and Nativ Ha’asara, in the Ashkelon Beach Regional Council.At 6 a.m., another siren was heard in the council’s areas of Nativ Ha’asara, the southern Ashkelon Industrial zone, and Zikim.
“After 20 years of rocket fire, there are still houses in the Eshkol region that do not have shelters,” Yarkoni said. “Last night, Israeli citizens slept under rocket fire, exposed to damage.”The head of Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council, Ofir Liebstein, added that, “for more than two decades, the Israeli governments have failed to produce a clear strategy to stop the rocket fire. There is no doubt that we deserve security and a stable routine.”Last Friday, IDF fighter jets attacked a number of targets in the Gaza Strip after a rocket which was fired into Israeli territory landed in an open field. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi held assessment meeting about the ongoing situation at 11:00 a.m, and Defense Minister Benny Gantz will be holding one at 1:30 p.m.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he will be holding an assessment meeting at 03:30 p.m.A Hamas official responded to the IDF retaliation, saying that “the new Zionist aggression on the Gaza Strip is a desperate attempt to break the willpower of our people and our continued steadfastness. Our people and our resistance are united with our people in Jerusalem in their fight against the Zionist occupation and in their defense of al-Aqsa Mosque.”UN envoy to the Middle East, Tor Wennesland, commented on the events on Saturday morning, saying that he is “concerned about the escalation in Gaza and Jerusalem and [is] working with all sides to stop it. The provocations in Jerusalem and the rocket fire from Gaza must stop. I call on all parties to maintain restraint and refrain from further escalation, especially during the month of Ramadan, a politically sensitive period on both sides.”
The IDF has estimated that Hamas allowed the rocket fire to take place, even if they were not directly responsible for it, according to Ynet.Udi Shaham contributed to this report.
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