Rocket Attack Into Israel Enters Day 2, Clashes In Jerusalem: What's Going On In Israel

Iron Dome intercepts Gaza rocket over Sderot as fighting enters 2nd day

JUDAH ARI GROSS

Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket into southern Israel on Saturday night, which was intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, as attacks from the enclave continued into a second day and threatened to intensify.

The attack triggered sirens in the town of Sderot and surrounding communities at 9 p.m., sending residents into bomb shelters. Soldiers operating the Iron Dome shot down the incoming projectile, the Israel Defense Forces said.

This rocket attack was the latest in a series of barrages from the Gaza Strip, beginning late Friday night. The launch of the rocket from the area of Jabaliya in northern Gaza was captured by an Israeli security camera.

Palestinian terror groups have said that the rocket attacks were responses to ongoing unrest in Jerusalem, where far-right Israeli nationalists have held violent, racist demonstrations and where Arab residents of the capital have attacked a number of Jewish Israelis.

Israeli leaders have called for calm on all sides in Jerusalem, though police on Saturday night prepared for the violence to continue.

Over the course of Friday night and the predawn hours of Saturday morning, terrorists in the enclave launched at least 36 projectiles into southern Israel — toward the city of Ashkelon and the Eshkol, Sdot Negev, Sha’ar Hanegev and Hof Ashkelon regions — several of which landed inside Israeli communities, where they damaged a number of buildings and vehicles. Six of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome, according to the IDF.

In retaliation, Israeli fighter jets bombed a number of Hamas in Gaza, including rocket launchers and underground infrastructure, and an IDF tank also struck a Hamas observation post on the border.

In light of the attacks, the military issued a number of safety instructions to residents of southern Israel, keeping people away from the border and limiting the sizes of crowds.

Protests in Jerusalem and Rockets Fired From Gaza: Here's What's Going On in Israel

Elizabeth Blade

Militants in the Gaza Strip have carried out 36 launches towards Israel's southern communities. Only six have been intercepted. Although no casualties or injuries have been reported, heavy damage was done to many agricultural fields in the south.

Rocket strikes have forced many Israeli families to take cover in bomb shelters, while the sirens sounded in the southern part of the country. Two Gaza-based militant organisations took responsibility for the attacks. 

Despite neither of the groups belonging to Hamas, Israel still holds the organisation that governs Gaza responsible for any attacks emanating from the territories it controls, even if the launches are not carried out by its own militants.

A Hamas spokesman suggested the launches were connected to the situation in Jerusalem and that the attacks were done to "protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque", one of the holiest sites in Islam.

The statement from the organisation hinted at the recent escalation of tensions in Jerusalem. Israeli and Palestinians have been clashing since the beginning of Ramadan on 12 April, but the tensions have recently geared up, as some Palestinians claimed that police have tried to prevent them from holding their usual Ramadan evening gatherings outside Damascus Gate - close to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

In the last few days, Arab youths have been attacking religious Jews and uploading their assaults on TikTok and other social media networks.

The most recent attack was documented on Friday, when clashes erupted between Arabs and Israeli police shortly after the noon prayers. Four police officers were hurt in those riots.

Similar attacks have also been seen in Tel Aviv and Jaffa, where Jews and Arabs have been living together for decades.

On Thursday, dozens of members of Lahava, a right-wing organisation, clashed with Arab youth during a staged rally in Jerusalem. Demonstrations of this sort are also expected in the upcoming days and the general feeling in Israel is that the country is heading to yet another round of tensions, either with the Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank or those in the Gaza Strip.

It is not yet clear how Israel will respond to the current wave of hostilities in Gaza, Jerusalem, and the West Bank. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is keeping quiet for now. The head of the opposition Yair Lapid has already commented on the situation, saying that Hamas militants  "have to pay a heavy price" for their actions.

Israeli Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi is set to address the situation later today at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Tel Aviv. He is also expected to announce measures that will be taken against the Gaza militants.