The Israeli military launched attack on Hamas terrorist sites in the Gaza Strip earlier in the day in response to rocket attacks launched on Israel the day before. The rocket attacks were carried out in southern Israel on Tuesday night. It is being speculated that the attacked was timed to coincide with the signing of the historic peace agreements between Israel and the two Gulf countries of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in the US.
Terrorists in Gaza have fired 15 rockets at Israel since last night.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 16, 2020
In response, our Air Force just struck Hamas targets in Gaza including a weapons & explosives manufacturing factory and a military compound.
We will continue to operate against any attempts to attack Israel.
As the ceremony to formalise the agreements between Israel and the Gulf countries was underway in the USA, the rocket attacks continued overnight. Out of a reported 15 projectiles fired at Israel, 8 were successfully intercepted by the Iron Dome System of Israel, which is a rocket defence system, five projectiles landed in open areas.
Two civilians in the southern city of Ashdod were injured in the rocket fire, Israeli media has reported.
Israel’s retaliatory attack hits Hamas weapons facility in Gaza
According to the IDF, around 10 sites of Hamas terrorists in Gaza trip were attacked by Israel in retaliation which included weapons and explosives manufacturing factory, underground infrastructure and a military training compound. The Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that the rocket attacks by Hamas militants were a reminder that Israel must always be strong. “On a historic night of peace, we have received a reminder from our enemies that we must always be strong and prepared to defend Israel’s residents in every arena and at any time”, Gantz said.
Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s advisor Aaron Klein blamed Iran for the rocket attacks by Hamas militants. “Gaza terrorist cowards are desperately launching rockets at Jews because they know this new era of peace will isolate their paymasters in Tehran. Iran-backed terrorists are not going to stop peace for one second as the children of Abraham come together to forge the path of real peace”, he said.
The US President Donal Trump met the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Israel signed the Abraham Accord along with bilateral agreements with the UAE and Bahrain. The Palestinians are strongly opposed to the normalisation agreement between Israel and the Gulf countries. Turkey had also expressed its opposition to the agreement.
