Netanyahu escorted off rally stage in Ashdod after rockets fired from Gaza on Tuesday; Israel responds by striking multiple Hamas targets in Gaza; An additional three rockets were fired from Gaza on Wednesday near Ashkelon; IDF uses tank fire in response.
Shortly after making his announcement of intent to begin the annexation of the Jordan Valley (should he be reelected), PM Netanyahu was rushed off stage while speaking at a campaign event in Ashdod (southern Israel). A couple of rockets were fired into Israel from Gaza, which the Iron Dome did happen to intercept. That being said, multiple rockets were also launched into Israel on Wednesday, triggering alarms in the towns of Yad Mordechai and Netiv HaAsara Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. Palestinian media sources claim that there are injuries as a result of the Israeli tank fire. Prime Minister Netanyahu finished his speech approximately 20 minutes later.
In response to the actions of Hamas via the Gaza Strip, the IDF targeted approximately 15 Hamas targets within Gaza. Some of the targets were military warehouses being used to store and create weapons.
In the wake of these recent attacks from Gaza, PM Netanyahu’s political opponent, Benny Gantz, is now calling for more strikes in Gaza, and even deliberate assassinations. He additionally stated, “We have two basic demands that we cannot give up on: complete quiet from the Gaza Strip and the return of our sons…After these two things happen, we can and we need to begin regional agreements and infrastructure development in Gaza. Human beings live there too.”
This is the more recent activity between Hamas and Israel, as Hamas attempted to fire a rocket into Israel on Sunday, only to have it land within their own territory. Additionally, on Saturday, Hamas executed a drone attack near the border, which led to the IDF striking multiple other targets over the weekend.
