Retaliation by Palestinian Resistance Targets Tel Aviv and Other Occupied Cities with Rocket Attacks

In a statement, the Gaza Joint Command of Palestinian Resistance Groups declared responsibility for launching “hundreds” of rockets at Israel, targeting the occupied Palestinian territories, including Tel Aviv, in an action termed “Revenge of the Free”.

“We shall be a united force on all fronts, serving as a sword and a shield to protect our people, our land, and our sacred places,” the statement declared.

Should the occupation continue with its belligerence and haughtiness, the resistance is ready for all possibilities, and bleak times are ahead for it.

Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesman, informed the Palestinian Shehab news agency that the reply of the joint command was unified, well-organized, and based on the on-site arrangement between all the factions.

Israel’s Minister of Military Affairs has reported that close to 400 rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel.

Israeli media reported that several areas near Tel Aviv experienced loud explosions.

Al-Mayadeen TV news reported that a house in Tel Aviv had been hit by rockets.

In Ashkelon, 16 people were reportedly injured due to rocket attacks, which caused immense destruction.

On Wednesday, towns and settlements around Gaza such as Ashdod, Ashkelon, Sderot, Netivot, and Miflassim were targeted by the initial Palestinian rocket attacks.

The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that a rocket caused damage to a building in Eshkol. Additionally, according to Israel’s Channel 13, a house in Sderot was hit by a rocket, resulting in damage. Furthermore, a rocket landing in the Ashkelon coast region sparked a blaze.

The Jerusalem Post reported that Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv had its operations temporarily suspended due to rockets launched from Gaza causing damage.

At least five settlers were reported to have been hospitalized in Israeli hospitals due to the rocket fire, according to media sources. Furthermore, Israeli media stated that a house was struck in Sderot.

Islamic Jihad official Dawood Shahab declared that the rockets had been launched in retaliation to Israel’s recent escalation of aggression on Gaza, and cautioned the Israeli cabinet that further heightening of tensions is their responsibility.

Al Jazeera reported that Mosheer al-Masri, a high-ranking member of Hamas’ resistance movement, stated that the Palestinian reaction to the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza is a demonstration of the organization’s pledge to its citizens and martyrs.

He stated that the resistance was unified, and that the opportunity to confront the Israeli occupation was still available.

The bombardment by Israel has gone on for a second day.

Israeli warplanes have retaliated as they continued to bomb targets in Gaza for two consecutive days.

The government stated that it had aimed at the rocket-launching facilities run by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and its affiliates.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine released a statement indicating that four of those killed on Wednesday were its fighters.

The Palestinian ministry of health reported that 21 people have lost their lives and 64 have been injured in Israeli bombardments over the past two days.

On Tuesday, three senior members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad were martyred, prompting Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh to declare that in response to the strikes, the resistance groups should retaliate by “assassinating the leadership” in Gaza, which would lead to “greater resistance.”

On Wednesday, Israeli troops conducted a raid in Qabatiya, a town located in the West Bank. Two people were killed in the raid, and Islamic Jihad claimed that they were members of their group.

The total number of Palestinians killed by the Israeli regime this year has now reached around 130.

The Israeli army reported that a soldier was severely injured during an operation in Tubas, located in the northern West Bank, on Wednesday morning.

At a meeting with local leaders near Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel was “prepared for the likelihood of an extended campaign and severe strikes against Gaza”.

Reuters reported, citing Israeli military sources, that the regime had deployed the David’s Sling missile defense system for the first time. The system is designed to intercept and destroy rockets and missiles with a range of up to 200 kilometers.

Israel has shut down its two commercial and population crossings with Gaza, preventing the entrance of goods, fuel, and humanitarian aid.

On the second anniversary of Israel’s 11-day offensive against Gaza, another bout of violence has surfaced.