Rockets fired into Israel by the Al-Quds Brigade have been followed by fighter jets bombing targets in the Gaza strip. The new wave of violence could probably surpass that of 2012. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the Gaza Strip should be retaken while Hamas spokesmanIhab al-Ghassinhas warned that there will be consequences if the situation escalates and Israel will be held responsible.
Al-Quds Brigade has claimed that it fired “70 rockets.” They were launched from different sites. The Israeli army puts the number at “more than 30.” It described the attack as the “biggest attackon Israelsince the 2012 Operation Pillar of Defence” on twitter.
David Cameron is on a visit to Israel and stressed that such attacks are “completely”condemned because they “are completely indiscriminate aimed at civilian populations and that is a demonstration of how barbaric they are.”Jen Psaki, US State Department spokeswoman said Israel “has a right to defend itself.” The UN has called for “maximum restraint to prevent further incidents” in order to avoid “greater escalation and destabilization in the region.”
An Israeli military spokeswoman told reporters that fighter jets have been in action over Gaza without giving further information. Residents in Gaza have seen some rocket strikes from aircrafts.
Hamas evacuated its premises before the bombings but holds the “occupation responsible… of any escalation” before stressing the “right of the Palestinian people to defend itself.” Meanwhile, the Al-Quds Brigade has vowed to continue its bombardments in response to Israel’s “aggression” in Tuesday’s air raid.
Nethanyahu has stated that they will react “very forcefully” against those who want to harm Israel and Minister Lieberman thinks “retaking Gaza and bringing an end to this rocket fire once and for all” is the ultimate solution.
Israel: Gaza on the brink of war
