JERUSALEM
The Israeli army has vowed to continue attacks against Palestinian group Hamas, saying that the latter has “made its decision” by resuming rocket fire at Israel and the army would make its own.
"Israeli cities are under rocket attack. Millions of Israelis are running to bomb shelters,” the army wrote on its Twitter account. “Hamas made its decision. Now we will make ours."
The Israeli army also confirmed that around 50 rockets were fired from Gaza Strip by Hamas on Tuesday.
The Ezzeddin al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian resistance faction Hamas, earlier said to have fired 41 rockets at Israeli cities following the collapse of a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
A rocket fired from Gaza had hit Tel Aviv as sirens went off across the country, the Israeli army said.
An army official told Anadolu Agency that a rocket also landed in an open area in Jerusalem.
Israel launched several airstrikes across the Palestinian territory on Tuesday, leaving a child dead and 25 people injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Israeli army said the attacks came in response to rocket fire from the Gaza Strip despite a temporary ceasefire, which was set to expire at Tuesday midnight.
Hamas, for its part, has described the Israeli attacks as an attempt to undermine Egypt-hosted negotiations aimed at reaching a permanent ceasefire.
At least 2018 Palestinians have been killed and more than 10,000 others injured in more than a month of devastating Israeli attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip since July 7.
According to Israeli figures, at least 64 Israeli soldiers have been killed in recent ground battles with Palestinian fighters in the Gaza Strip – the highest military death toll for Israel of any of its three onslaughts on the territory.
Three Israeli civilians, meanwhile, have been killed by rocket fire from Gaza.
Since 2007, the Gaza Strip – home to some 1.8 million Palestinians – has reeled under a crippling Israeli blockade that has badly affected the local economy and played havoc with residents' livelihoods.
By Turgut Alp Boyraz
englishnews@aa.com.tr
www.aa.com.tr/en
