Multiple rockets were launched from the blockaded Gaza Strip into Israel on Saturday, according to reports from an AFP journalist situated in the Palestinian territory. Alarms warning of incoming rocket fire sounded across Israel, prompting the Israeli army to issue warnings and advise the public to seek shelter near bomb shelters. Additionally, the military indicated that a group of individuals had infiltrated Israeli territory from Gaza, although specifics were not provided.
Tragically, a 70-year-old woman was left in critical condition, and another individual was trapped when a rocket struck a building in central Israel, as confirmed by the Magen David Adom emergency services. In a separate incident, a 20-year-old man sustained moderate injuries from shrapnel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office disclosed that he would soon convene with security leaders to address the ongoing violence. No party immediately claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks.
These incidents come against the backdrop of a prolonged blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza since 2007, following the rise to power of the Hamas militant group. The region has witnessed several devastating conflicts between Palestinian militants and Israel. Recent tensions escalated in September when Israel temporarily closed its borders to Gazan workers for two weeks. During this period, Palestinian protests erupted along the heavily-militarized border, characterized by tire burnings, rock-throwing, and the use of petrol bombs against Israeli troops, who responded with tear gas and live ammunition.
Critics denounced the border closure as a form of collective punishment against thousands of Palestinian workers, who typically have greater earning opportunities in Israel than in Gaza, where unemployment is rampant. The resumption of worker passage on September 28 had raised hopes of de-escalating the situation in Gaza, a region inhabited by 2.3 million people.
In May, a series of Israeli airstrikes and Gaza rocket fire resulted in the tragic deaths of 34 Palestinians and one Israeli. Throughout the year, the conflict has claimed the lives of at least 247 Palestinians, 32 Israelis, and two foreign nationals, encompassing both combatants and civilians on both sides, as reported by Israeli and Palestinian authorities.
The majority of these casualties have occurred in the West Bank, an area under Israeli occupation since the 1967 Arab-Israeli conflict. This period has witnessed an uptick in military operations, Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis, and incidents of Israeli settler violence against Palestinians and their property. It is important to note that several far-right Israeli ministers reside in settlements within the West Bank, which are regarded as illegal under international law.
