Israel strikes back after Gaza rocket fire

A Palestinian man salvages gas canisters from the ruins of buildings destroyed by what police said were Israeli air strikes and shelling in Khuzaa, east of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on August 3, 2014. Picture: Finbarr O'Reilly

A Palestinian man salvages gas canisters from the ruins of buildings destroyed by what police said were Israeli air strikes and shelling in Khuzaa, east of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on August 3, 2014. Picture: Finbarr O'Reilly

Published Aug 8, 2014

Share

Jerusalem - The Israeli military responded with air strikes at “terror sites” across the Gaza Strip on Friday after militants launched rockets from the enclave, an Israeli military spokesman said.

“The renewed rocket attacks by terrorists at Israel are unacceptable, intolerable and shortsighted.

“Hamas's bad decision to breach the ceasefire will be pursued by the IDF (Israel Defence Forces), we will continue to strike Hamas, its infrastructure, its operatives and restore security for the State of Israel,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner, an Israeli military spokesman, in a statement.

Earlier on Friday, Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired rockets into Israel after Egyptian-mediated talks in Cairo failed to extend a 72-hour truce in a month-long war.

As rocket-warning sirens sounded in southern Israel, the military said that since the truce expired, Hamas had fired at least 18 rockets from Gaza and Israel's “Iron Dome” interceptor system brought down two. No injuries or damage were reported.

Gaza militants said they had fired a total of 10 rockets on Friday. An Israeli security official said flight operations at Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion airport, potentially within range of some rockets, were suspended for 45 minutes as the truce expired. - Reuters

Related Topics: