IDF strikes Hamas targets in Gaza after rocket hits southern Israel - Lilach Shoval, Daniel Siryoti, Shlomo Cesana and Gadi Golan

by Lilach Shoval, Daniel Siryoti, Shlomo Cesana and Gadi Golan

Ground, air strikes destroy "very significant" Hamas targets, military official says • IDF says rocket fire most likely the work of rogue terrorist group, as Hamas is not interested in escalation • PM Netanyahu: We'll respond to every shooting forcefully.

Flares seen over the Gaza Strip, Monday | Photo credit: AFP

Israel mounted a series of strikes on terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip Monday after a rocket fired from northern Gaza exploded in an open area in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. A siren sounded across the area seconds before the explosion, which caused no harm.

IDF forces canvassed the area for the projectile, and shortly afterward IDF tanks fired artillery shells at a Hamas post in the northern Gaza neighborhood of Beit Lahiya.

A second strike was carried out by the Israeli Air Force on Monday evening against Hamas infrastructure in the enclave's north and south.

"The strike in Gaza followed projectile fire at the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. The IDF holds the Hamas terrorist group responsible for what transpires in Gaza," the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said. 

One defense official said the targets struck Monday were "very significant" to Hamas. The official said that while the scope of the strike was unusual, considering Israel's prudent policy, an opportunity had presented itself to destroy these significant targets.

In London, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "We will respond to every shooting. I've instructed [the military] accordingly. This was a forceful reaction. Our policy over the past two years has seen them become the quietest years in the south since the [1967] Six-Day War. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot has said so." 

Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai wrote on social media that "Israel will strike the terror tunnels and those hiding in them with an iron fist."

He later added, "As long as [rocket] fire at Israel continues, we will react forcefully. The ball is in Hamas' court. Will they be responsible and restore stability, or will the terrorists digging tunnels continue to make the lives of ordinary Gazans miserable? Every foolish act will meet a forceful response."

Another defense official said it was highly unlikely that Hamas would pursue a security escalation at this time, and that Monday's fire was most likely the work of a rogue terrorist group.

Israel is not interested in an escalation, but it will mount a forceful response to any rocket fire, he said.

Palestinian media reported that three people were injured in the IAF's strike and that several Hamas and Islamic Jihad posts were severely damaged. 

Hamas sources were quoted as saying the group is not interested in escalating tensions on the border, but Hamas spokesman Fauzi Barhoum warned that "Israel will be held accountable for its aggression in Gaza."

While no group has claimed responsibility for the fire, several small Salafi groups issued a joint statement saying Monday's rocket fire followed arrests of their operatives by Hamas security forces.

Lilach Shoval, Daniel Siryoti, Shlomo Cesana and Gadi Golan

Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=40163

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