JERUSALEM (EJP)—Up to 15 rockets from the Gaza Strip were fired at southern Israeli communities Monday morning, the largest salvo to hit Israel during the past two weeks which has seen a steady stream of rocket fire and Israeli air responses.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that ‘’if Hamas won’t stop Gaza rockets, Israel will.’’
11 rockets reportedly hit the Eshkol region at around 7am while two struck the Sdot Negev region, where a house was damaged, about ninety minutes later.
Earlier in the morning, two rockets landed in open terrain. Although no injuries were reported, two buildings were damaged by shrapnel and several people were treated for shock.
Monday’s barrage followed a weekend of rocket fire on southern Israel.
Sunday night, the Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepted two rockets. On Saturday night, six rockets landed in Israel, one of which set a paint factory in Sderot ablaze, causing severe damage.
As a result, early Sunday morning, Israel’s Air Force struck 12 specific targets in the Gaza Strip. These included a weapons factory and concealed rocket launchers, according to the IDF which said that the raids were launched “in order to prevent further attacks on Israeli civilians.”
Earlier Friday, Israel Air Force (IAF) aircraft targeted two terror operatives in northern Gaza, Osama Hassumi and Mohammad Fatzih, who were involved in last week’s rocket fire at Israel, as well as several terror attacks over the past few years. The terrorists were planning further attacks against Israeli civilians before the IDF targeted them.
“Militants like Hassumi and Fatzih, who attack Israel from Gaza, will not be free to plan, plot and operate [against Israel],” said IDF Spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner. “We will continue to strike the instigators and agitators with patience, determination and precision. Gaza terrorism does not pay.”
On Saturday night, Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon told Sderot’s Mayor Alon Davidi, “We are operating in order to return quiet to the south of the country.”
However, Eshkol Regional Council head Haim Yalin commented “The deterrence that we have enjoyed since Operation Pillar of Defence is fading,” in reference to the week-long operation launched by Israel in November 2012 to stop rocket fire from Gaza.
Speaking during the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that air strikes on Gaza targets could be expanded if the rocket fire continues.
He also said that since establishing a unity government with the backing of Hamas, “the Palestinian Authority became responsible for preventing firing at our territory from the Gaza Strip,” which Hamas has administered since 2007.
Since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, terrorists in the Gaza Strip have fired more than 8,000 rockets into Israel. Over 3.5 million Israelis are currently living under threat of rocket attacks.
Although Israel’s Iron Dome Missile Defense system stops some of the attacks, most rockets are capable of reaching Israel’s biggest southern cities. More than half a million Israelis have less than 60 seconds to find shelter after a rocket is launched from Gaza into Israel.