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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Israel closes Gaza fishing zone in response to Palestinian rockets |
| 2021-04-26 |
| [Jpost] The IDF will respond powerfully if rocket fire from Gaza continues, the security cabinet decided on Monday after an hours-long debate. The cabinet authorized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz to instruct the IDF to react strongly if Gazan terrorist groups launch more rockets on the heels of a weekend that saw more than 40 rockets launched into southern Israel. The ministers also voted in favor of an operational plan to strike Hamas. UN Special Envoy Tor Wennesland and Egypt said Hamas does not want an escalation, Maj.-Gen. Ghassan Alian, coordinator of government activities in the territories (COGAT), told the security cabinet. Terrorists launched three rockets from Gaza into Israel in the early hours of Monday morning. Iron Dome missiles intercepted two, and one projectile exploded inside the Gaza Strip. More than 40 rockets have been launched from the Gaza Strip into the South since violence began on Friday. The IDF responded with fighter jets and tank fire on Friday, but it refrained from doing so since then. On Monday, the army denied reports it had reinforced troops near the Gaza Strip. About 250 Palestinians held protests and burned tires near the security fence in several venues, the IDF said. The army dispersed them with tear gas. Early Monday morning, Alian said the Gaza Strip fishing zone would be completely closed starting at 6 a.m. until further notice. COGAT had issued an earlier statement that the fishing zone would be restricted from 15 to nine nautical miles. But after more rockets were fired, the decision was made to completely close it. |
| Posted by:Skidmark |