Gemma Fox – The Daily Star
Hundreds of rockets were fired Monday between Palestinian armed factions and Israel, killing at least three Palestinians and raising the specter of another deadly war as the United Nations urged both sides to “step back from the brink.” The latest flare-up comes after an Israeli incursion into the enclave the day before resulted in a deadly confrontation that left seven Palestinians and one Israeli officer dead.
The Israeli military said more than 300 projectiles were fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, around 60 of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. One Israeli soldier was severely wounded, the army said, after an anti-tank missile hit a bus near the kibbutz of Kfar Aza.
Medics said at least 10 Israelis were wounded in the clashes, according to AFP.
Hamas’ military wing, the Ezzeddine al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement that the strike on the bus killed a number of Israeli soldiers it was transporting, and was carried out in response to Sunday’s operation that killed one of Hamas’ senior commanders.
Islamic Jihad spokesman Daoud Shehab said Gaza’s armed factions wanted “the occupation and its supporters to know that the lives of our sons come with a price.”
The Israeli military pummeled Gaza with airstrikes and tank fire in response, hitting Hamas’ Al-Aqsa TV station headquarters, according to local media reports. Staff were reportedly given notice and had evacuated the building beforehand.
“The [Israeli army] has so far retaliated against 20 military targets in the Gaza Strip, belonging to Hamas and PIJ [Palestinian Islamic Jihad] in response to a massive rocket barrage against Israel,” military spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said.
The Gaza Health Ministry said at least three Palestinians were killed in the violence: Mohammad al-Titri, 27, Mohammad Awda, 22, and Hamad al-Najal, 23.
“The situation is very dangerous,” a resident from Gaza’s Khan Younes, Muhammad Smiry, told The Daily Star. “We keep hearing explosions. I’m trying to get my nephews to sleep but they are very afraid.”
“The U.N. is working closely with Egypt and all concerned to ensure that Gaza step back from the brink,” U.N. envoy Nickolay Mladenov said in a statement. “The escalation over the past 24 hours is extremely dangerous and reckless.”
The joint operations room of Palestinian armed factions warned if Israel escalates the situation, “the resistance will increase the reach and intensity of its bombings.”
U.S. envoy Jason Greenblatt tweeted: “We stand with Israel as it defends itself against these attacks. This violence prevents any real help for the people of Gaza.”
Thousands of Palestinians Monday buried the seven killed in Sunday’s fighting following the botched Israeli undercover operation.
Two Hamas commanders were among those killed: Nour Baraka, a deputy commander of an elite unit of the Ezzeddine al-Qassam Brigades, and Mohammad al-Qarra.
A high-ranking officer, identified by the Israeli military as Lt. Col. M. May, was also killed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rushed back to Israel, cutting short his visit to Paris, where he had been set to meet French President Emmanuel Macron after having attended World War I commemorations with other world leaders.
Hamas said Israeli undercover agents had entered Khan Younes, in southern Gaza, and opened fire from a passing vehicle on a group of its members, who fired back.
Witnesses said Israeli aircraft fired some 40 missiles into the area to give cover for the car as it retreated.
The latest round of violence comes after a period of relative quiet along the border since wide-scale protests began March 30. Thousands of Gazans have been demonstrating against the grave humanitarian situation caused by the decadelong Israeli siege on the enclave.
Over 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since that date. One Israeli soldier has been killed by a Palestinian sniper.
The blockade has led to an unemployment rate of over 50 percent and chronic power outages, and prevents the vast majority of Gazans from traveling outside the strip.
In what appeared to be a sign of positive progress in negotiations, Israel last week allowed Qatar to deliver $15 million in aid to Gaza.