[Ynet] Iron Dome activated but fails to intercept; strikes come amid Egyptian attempts to mediate lull in violence between Israel and Hamas, the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,; Netanyahu calls emergency security meeting; all Paleostinian factions so far denied responsibility for the rocket fireIsraeli military confirms two rockets were fired at Tel Aviv area, as rocket alert sirens rocked the entire Dan region in central Israel on Thursday evening. Despite the apparent activation of the Iron Dome air defence system, the military said no rockets were shot down. It said there were no reports of casualties or damage.
Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said he had ordered the city to open public air raid shelters as a protective measure. The decision was followed by several other municipalities in the central Israel.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility in the enclave, where its dominant Hamas group has been engaged in talks with Egypt on a long-term ceasefire with Israel. In addition, the Paleostinian Islamic Jihad
...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah...
terror group‐initially thought to be behind the attack‐denied any involvement in the rocket fire.
The Hamas armed wing said in a statement it was also "not responsible" for the firing of the rockets "towards the enemy. They were fired as a meeting was underway between the leadership of the Hamas movement and the Egyptian security delegation over the understandings regarding the Gazoo Strip."
The attacks came as Gazoo rulers Hamas sought to contain riots by Paleostinians in the coastal enclave and security experts in Israel speculated that the domestic disturbances could lead the terror group to strike Israel as a diversion.
"No rocket fell in any built-up area," military front man Brigadier-General Ronen Manelis told Israel Radio, declining to provide further operational details. "This was basically a surprise," Manelis said, adding that Israel had no advance intelligence warnings of the rocket fire.
"We don't know who carried it out (but) the Hamas organization is the main organization in the Strip. It is responsible for what happens within the Strip and what emanates from it."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency security meeting in the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv following the event. Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon said on Twitter that Israel "would respond as necessary" to the rocket attack. Other Israeli politicians from across the spectrum called for a response to the rocket fire.
Following the rocket fire, Hamas evacuated all its headquarters in the Gazoo Strip in anticipation of a possible retaliation by Israeli military. A delegation of senior Egyptian intelligence officials, currently in Gazoo, is also expected to leave in the upcoming hours.
IDF Strikes Gaza In Retaliation To Rocket Launch At Tel Aviv
[Jpost] The IDF began striking targets in Gazoo on Thursday night in retaliation to two rockets fired at Tel Aviv earlier, the IDF spokesperson said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency meeting at the Kiriya in Tel Aviv just after the attack to discuss Israel's response. Among those participating were Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen Aviv Kochavi, National Security Council head Meir Ben-Shabbat, Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) head Nadav Argaman, and other senior security establishment officials.
IDF says Hamas fired rockets at Tel Aviv
[IsraelTimes] The IDF says that Hamas fired the two rockets at Tel Aviv. The short statement, which gave no further details, comes despite denials from the Hamas political and military wings that it was behind the first rocket fire on Tel Aviv since 2014.
Hamas health ministry says no reports of casualties
[IsraelTimes] The Hamas-run health ministry says there are no immediate reports of casualties in the Israeli strikes on Gaza targets. Hamas and Islamic Jihad withdrew their forces from many of their bases and posts in anticipation of the IDF strikes after the two missiles were fired at Tel Aviv.
Egyptian Delegation Leaves Gaza Strip After Rocket Fire- Report
[Jpost] An Egyptian delegation in Gazoo discussing possible agreements with Israel left the coastal enclave after a pair of rockets were fired at Tel Aviv, according to media reports on Thursday. The delegation left at the behest of Israel, according to reports.
| The Times of Israel has continued liveblogging overnight as events continue. Posted 12:52 a.m. EDT: |
IDF spokesman Ronen Manelis says the IDF hit over 100 Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip overnight in response to the two rockets fired at Tel Aviv.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
During the night Palestinians fired 5 rockets at Israeli communities along the Gaza border. Iron Dome intercepted three, one apparently fell in an open are and the fifth failed to clear the border.