Israel carried out a series of airstrikes on Hamas “terror targets” in the northern Gaza Strip overnight Wednesday-Thursday, the IDF said, in response to machine gun fire that struck several homes in the Israeli city of Sderot, apparently fired from across the border.
An army statement said the “terror targets belonging to Hamas” included four site on a Hamas military base and three at a weapons factory.
The strikes came in response to three separate cross-border exchanges earlier Wednesday, including shots said to have been fired from Gaza that hit residential buildings in Sderot causing damage but no injuries, the army said.
According to the city of Sderot, the shots from Gaza were aimed at an army aircraft that had been flying overhead, and the bullets struck the homes as they fell back down to earth.
“A short while ago, shots were fired at an [Israel Defense Forces] aircraft. Rounds hit a number of homes in Sderot,” the city said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, shots were fired at Israeli soldiers stationed on the border, according to the army. There were no reports of injuries.
In response, an IDF tank fired on a Hamas military position in the northern Gaza Strip, the military said.
A few hours after the machine gun fire hit the Sderot homes, Israeli troops on the border were again shot at, that time near southern Gaza, the army said.
In response, an Israeli tank destroyed two Hamas observation posts in southern Gaza, according to the IDF.
The bullets that hit Sderot, a city in southern Israel that has frequently been the site of rocket attacks over the past 20 years, were large caliber rounds that were fired from a heavy machine gun by members of a terrorist group in Gaza, the IDF said.
The army would not immediately comment on whether the aircraft had been hit in the shooting attack.
“The IDF sees this as a serious event and holds Hamas responsible for everything that occurs in the Gaza Strip,” the army said.
In one case, a bullet shattered a window. In others, the rounds smashed into external walls, according to pictures of the houses posted on social media.
One of the homes hit belonged to a former mayor Sderot, Eli Moyal, who told the Ynet news site he heard a “terrible noise” and when he ran outside to see what had happened he found bullet fragments.
Police were called to the scenes, sealing off the areas around the homes that were hit as forensic investigators were called in.
The army said it was investigating the issue in order to determine the origins of the gunfire.
On Monday, over 40,000 Palestinians took part in “unprecedentedly” violent riots along the security fence, which included at least one gun battle with Israeli troops, as well as attempts to infiltrate into Israeli territory and to plant improvised explosive devices along the border, the army said.
The Israeli Air Force has carried out a series of airstrikes against Hamas military facilities in northern Gaza in retaliation for “heavy machine gun fire” that reportedly targeted the city of Sderot.
The strikes targeted four Hamas-affiliated buildings and infrastructure objects in a military compound of the Sunni organization, while three more sorties were launched at a weapons production facility, the IDF said.
Israel said it was a warranted response to numerous shooting incidents throughout Wednesday, including machine gun fire, which targeted the city of Sderot in the Southern District of Israel.
A short while ago, IAF fighter jets struck Hamas terror targets in northern Gaza. 4 of the targets were buildings & terror infrastructure in a military compound, & 3 more were in a weapons production facility
“Hamas is solely responsible for the events transpiring in and out of Gaza, and is accountable for all terrorist activity emanating from Gaza targeting Israeli civilians and Israeli sovereignty,” the IDF said. “The IDF is prepared to continue fulfilling its mission to ensure Israeli civilians' security and sense of security.”
The strikes followed earlier retaliation by the IDF against Hamas positions on Wednesday, when an Israeli tank targeted a group which reportedly opened machine gun fire on its soldiers. While there were not believed to be any casualties, machine gun fire from Gaza is said to have struck at least six homes in Sderot.
Israeli-Palestinian tensions have been on the rise since December, when US President Donald Trump announced the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel, triggering furious protests violently suppressed by the IDF. Deadly clashes have further escalated during the so-called 'Great March of Return', which culminated on Monday when the US embassy officially opened in Jerusalem.
At least 60 people lost their lives in what became the deadliest day in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since 2014. More than 2,700 people were injured, many by live ammunition. While the Palestinian government called the Israeli crackdown a “terrible massacre,” Israel denied accusations of using excessive force against the protesters, insisting the crackdown is justified to protect its border.
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