Terrorists from Palestinian Islamic Jihad fired relentless barrages of rockets at Israeli communities in southern and central Israel Friday night, sending thousands rushing to shelters. The volleys came hours after the Israel Defense Forces launched strikes in the Strip in response to what Israeli leaders said was an ongoing “concrete” threat to target Israeli civilians and soldiers in Gaza-border areas.
Rocket launches began shortly before 9 p.m., with sirens blaring in Ashkelon, Ashdod, Sderot, Yavne and other communities in the south. Alerts were also heard in the Tel Aviv suburbs of Rishon Lezion, Holon and Bat Yam.
Several Iron Dome interceptor missiles were seen engaging incoming rockets over southern Israel in several separate barrages. There were no reports of casualties or damage from rocket impacts.
By 10 p.m. the PIJ claimed it had launched some 100 rockets at Israel. The IDF said some 80 had been fired in that time. It said nearly half fell short in the Gaza Strip. Over 40 crossed the border, of which 33 were intercepted by Iron Dome. The rest fell in open areas, causing no injuries.
Shortly after the first rocket barrages, the IDF said it had begun fresh, widescale airstrikes against Islamic Jihad sites in Gaza, targeting weapons production sites, warehouses and rocket launching positions.
Under rocket fire, Israelis near Gaza spend night in shelters; IDF hits PIJ targets
The Times of Israel is liveblogging Friday’s events as they unfold.
IDF says jets hit additional PIJ rocket-launching positions
The Israeli military says air force jets have struck a number of Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket-launching positions in the northern Gaza Strip.
The Israel Defense Forces publish footage from one of the strikes.
IDF says fresh airstrikes in Gaza hit multiple PIJ weapons sites
The Israeli military says fresh airstrikes in Gaza overnight Friday-Saturday stuck multiple weapons sites run by terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Israeli Air Force jets “attacked additional sites for the production of materials that are used to make rockets” belonging to PIJ, the army says in a statement.
A production site for mortal shells was also hit, the IDF says.
“The IDF continues at this time to attack PIJ terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip,” the military adds.
Turkey condemns Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, calls for ‘restraint’
Turkey condemns Israel’s airstrikes in the Gaza Strip and says it’s “deeply concerned” about the latest rounds of violence.
“We strongly condemn the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza on Aug. 5. We find it unacceptable that civilians, including children, lost their lives in attacks,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement reported by the Daily Sabah.
“We are deeply concerned about the rising tension in the region after the attacks. We emphasize the need to immediately end these events before they turn into a new conflict, and call for restraint and common sense,” the statements reads.
Israel tells Egyptian mediators airstrikes in Gaza to continue — report
Israeli officials are said to have told Egyptian mediators that its airstrikes in the Gaza Strip will continue in response to rocket fire from the Palestinian enclave, Al-Arabiya reports(Arabic).
According to the Al Arabiya report, Egyptian mediators asked Israel to stop targeting senior terror leaders from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group (PIJ).
A Middle Eastern diplomat told The Times of Israel earlier that Egypt is currently mediating between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in an effort to bring an end to the ongoing round of violence. A delegation from Cairo is slated to depart for Gaza tomorrow, the diplomat said.
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