The Hamas-led terrorists occupying the Gaza Strip launched a wave of rocket attacks into Israel on Friday to go along with their incessant protests, efforts to spark random wildfires in Israel with flaming kites, explosive balloons, and other measures to terrorize the people of Israel. But Israel is fighting back.
The Israeli military responded to the rocket attacks with a series of targeted airstrikes against Hamas targets. It was said to be the largest such counterattack since the brief 2014 war between Israel and Hamas-led Gaza.
Fatal strikes
According to a report from The U.K. Independent, it was thought that at least two Palestinian teenagers were killed in a strike on an abandoned building, which also injured several other Palestinians in a park near the building.
Israeli military sources said the abandoned building had been covering the entrance of a militant tunnel and underground training facility used by Hamas and their terrorist allies.
The coordinated airstrikes, which hit an estimated 40 targets in Gaza, came after Hamas terrorists had randomly fired more than 90 rockets and mortars into southern Israel, wounding several people and causing damage to houses and synagogues.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his nation’s forces were prepared to deliver the “hardest blow” to Hamas since the 2014 conflict in response to the mortar and rocket attacks.
Netanyahu added: “We will increase the strength of our attacks as necessary.”
Deescalation
Meanwhile, Egyptian officials are reportedly working quietly behind the scenes with others to restore a state of calm between Israel and Gaza.
Hamas announced following their strikes that they had agreed to an Egyptian offer to “stop the escalation” and return to a pre-existing ceasefire agreement.
That acquiescence from Hamas most likely came in light of vague statements from the Israeli military that left the door wide open to a broader military campaign into Gaza that would occur if the terrorist attacks continued.
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Israel has stated that their actions going forward will depend entirely on Hamas’ actions on the ground, leaving the ball squarely in their court as to whether further strikes will be necessary.
It will be interesting to see if Hamas lashes out against Israel again, or restrains themselves in order to avoid yet another devastating series of airstrikes against their military command and infrastructure.