Under the title "Destructive Israeli Airstrikes on Gaza after More than a Thousand Rockets Fired from the Territory," the Swiss Info website reported a message from AFP about the ongoing military escalation between Hamas and Israel. This escalation continued on Wednesday morning with new Israeli strikes on Gaza after over a thousand rockets were launched from the territory, some of which hit various cities including Tel Aviv.
Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus stated in an online briefing with journalists on Wednesday morning that "more than a thousand rockets" were fired from Gaza, with 850 intercepted by the missile defense system or landing in Israel, while 200 struck the Palestinian side of the territory since Monday evening.
After a night of reciprocal shelling between Hamas, which controls the territory, and Israel, the Israeli army announced that it had carried out "a series of new and extensive airstrikes" targeting homes belonging to high-ranking members of the "Hamas terrorist organization."
Hamas indicated that these "successive strikes" resulted in the destruction of a police command center but did not specify whether there were any casualties. These new strikes, the largest since the 2014 war in the territory according to the army, follow the launch of over a thousand rockets from the Palestinian territory towards Israeli lands.
After the first batch of rockets was fired towards Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening, Hamas announced that it would launch over 220 new rockets towards Tel Aviv and Beersheba (in the south), where warning sirens were activated. The Islamic Jihad Movement, the second armed Palestinian group in Gaza, which lost at least two of its leaders in the Israeli airstrikes, announced on Wednesday morning that it had dealt "a strong blow to the enemy by launching a hundred rockets."
The international community has called for calm in the face of the worst cycle of violence in years between Hamas and the Israeli state. Diplomatic sources indicated that the UN Security Council would hold a closed emergency meeting on Wednesday, the second within three days.
On the Palestinian side, the Israeli attacks carried out by warplanes and helicopters resulted in the deaths of 35 people, including 12 children, and at least 230 others were injured, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. In Israel, the rockets resulted in a total of five fatalities and dozens of injuries, according to police and emergency services.
Hamas initially launched a barrage of rockets at Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening after an Israeli airstrike completely destroyed a 12-story building in downtown Gaza, which housed offices for leaders of the movement. The movement reported the destruction of another building that contained a local television station, residences, and stores across nine floors and launched another round of rockets.
UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland warned both Israel and Hamas on Tuesday of "a large-scale war," as there are no signs of de-escalation amid the current violence. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who was the army chief during the 2014 Gaza war, stated, "There are still many targets, and this is just the beginning," while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured that Hamas "will receive an unexpected blow."
Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniya stated in a televised speech that he is "ready" to engage in battle. Haniya added, "If (Israel) wants to escalate, the resistance is ready, and if (Israel) wants to stop, we are ready too," urging Israeli security forces to withdraw from the mosque compound in East Jerusalem, which has seen clashes for days between Israeli police and Palestinian demonstrators that resulted in over 700 injuries.
The violence extent on Tuesday evening reached several Arab towns in Israel. Police arrested 21 suspects during violent protests in Jisr al-Zarqa and Wadi Ara (in the north). In Lod, near Ben Gurion International Airport, where flights were temporarily suspended, a state of emergency was declared after "riots" by the Arab minority, according to Israeli police.
As the cycle of violence continues, the UN Security Council is holding an urgent closed meeting on Wednesday, the second within three days, according to diplomatic sources. The first meeting on Monday ended without a joint statement due to the United States' reservations about adopting a text "at this stage." Diplomatic sources informed AFP on Monday that the UN, with the help of Qatar and Egypt, has begun mediating with the "concerned" parties to stop the escalation. However, Cairo indicated on Tuesday that it had so far unsuccessfully attempted to communicate with Israel to reduce tension. When asked about this mediation, Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus responded on Tuesday, "I don't think my leaders are aware of it or particularly interested in it."
