BICOM

One hundred and eighty missiles and mortars were fired at Israel from Gaza yesterday, according to Israeli media sources, the worst attack since the 2014 war. In response Israel bombed 65 Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets across Gaza.

Yesterday morning, more than 30 missiles were fired from Gaza at civilian targets in Israel to coincide with the school run, injuring several people including three Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers. One mortar hit an Israeli kindergarten that was due to open one hour later.

In response, Israel bombed 40 targets at seven sites in Gaza, including military compounds, munitions warehouses, naval targets and Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad headquarters.

The IDF also confirmed that a tunnel “designated for terror purposes, as well as to transfer munitions to Egypt” beneath the Kerem Shalom Crossing was destroyed yesterday.

The tunnel, beginning in the Gaza Strip, extended into Sinai and then 900m inside Israel. The IDF confirmed this was the tenth Hamas tunnel they had located and destroyed since October 2017.

The missile attacks continued during Tuesday evening, leading the Israeli Air Force to bomb an additional 25 targets in response. Israeli civilians in southern Israel spent most of the night in air raid shelters.

So far no Israelis or Palestinians have been killed.

Israeli security sources now believe that the current round of violence is over, after reports of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas via Egyptian mediators. The IDF said it would respect the ceasefire, provided the missile fire from Gaza ends.

A boat carrying 17 Palestinians was detained yesterday by Israeli naval personnel after attempting to break through the Gaza naval blockade yesterday. The naval blockade has been recognised as legal and necessary by the UN, and is designed to prevent weapons being smuggled into Gaza.