Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on the Gaza Strip targeting sites belonging to Palestinian factions. The Israeli army stated that it carried out strikes in the Gaza Strip following the launch of rockets from the territory towards Israeli lands. Earlier, several rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israel early Thursday morning, according to witnesses in the Palestinian territory and the Israeli army. Witnesses reported that at least 8 rockets were fired from the besieged area towards Israel, while the Israeli army announced in a statement that it detected the launch of 6 rockets from the territory, 5 of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system, while the sixth rocket fell in an uninhabited area. Israeli emergency services confirmed that no injuries were reported as a result of this bombardment, which triggered air raid sirens in Sderot and Ashkelon, two cities located in southern Israel near the Gaza Strip around 4 AM local time (02:00 UTC).
This comes amidst tensions witnessed in the city of Nablus in the West Bank yesterday, which resulted in the deaths of 11 Palestinians, including a boy, and injuries to more than 80 others from live ammunition during an operation carried out by the Israeli army in the city. The Palestinian presidency condemned the "Israeli aggression" and held the Israeli government responsible for this serious escalation, according to the official Palestinian news agency (WAFA). Hussein Sheikh, Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, described the Israeli operation in Nablus as a "massacre," calling on the international community for "immediate intervention."
