Israeli Air Force jets attacked Hamas targets in the northern Strip, including a site for weapons production and a military compound, the spokesperson confirmed.In response to the 4 rockets fired from #Gaza at #Israel earlier today, IDF fighter jets struck Hamas terror targets in Gaza, including a weapons manufacturing site & a military compound.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) January 15, 2020
The IDF said in a statement, "The Hamas terror organization is responsible for what is happening in and out of the Gaza Strip and it will have consequences for actions against Israeli citizens."The IDF believes that the rockets were fired by a rogue group within the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group who has been responsible for most of the rocket fire since the assassination of Baha Abu al-Ata in November, according to Ynet. The IDF believes that the rocket fire will likely continue and is deploying Iron Dome batteries throughout southern Israel.The moment of Israeli occupation bombing the Palestinian resistance position, north of GazaStrip.#GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/fJbiLNCZHj
— Shehab Agency (@ShehabAgencyEn) January 15, 2020
The terrorist groups in Gaza recently decided to escalate the situation because Israel has delayed implementing understandings reached in calm agreements, according to the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar. An Egyptian delegation was reportedly supposed to visit Gaza last weekend, but failed to do so among rising tensions between Hamas and Egypt. Egypt also reportedly raised taxes and the price of goods imported to the Gaza Strip.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh visited Tehran to take part in the funeral of former Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani. Haniyeh had agreed not to visit Iran when he was permitted to leave the Gaza Strip to visit countries in the region last month.Dozens of incendiary balloons were launched from the north and south of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar.
A group of incendiary balloons were also launched towards the southern city of Sderot from Gaza, a city spokesperson said on Wednesday evening. Israel Police bomb disposal experts were dispatched to the scene after reports of a suspicious object that was attached to several balloons that landed in one of the neighborhoods of Sderot.Rocket alert sirens were activated in southern Israel on Wednesday afternoon as four rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel.The sirens were heard in Nahal Oz, Saad and Kfar Aza.The IDF reported that two of the rockets fell in open territory and two were intercepted by the Iron Dome.Israel's Magen David Adom ambulance service said no injuries or damage were reported in the first such attack in three weeks.There was no immediate claim of responsibility from the Gaza Strip, which Israel keeps under blockade citing security concerns over Hamas, the dominant armed movement in the Palestinian territory.Blue and White leader Benny Gantz commented on the rocket fire, saying that "Netanyahu has failed in his role of providing security to southern residents. We will put an end to the 'rocket celebrations' and the payments that he makes to Hamas. It's time for a decision."Last month, a rocket was launched from the Gaza Strip at the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon as it hosted a rally with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, prompting him to seek shelter briefly before returning to the venue. No one was hurt.But simmering tensions have mostly remained calm since a two-day surge of violence in November between Israel and the armed Gaza-based faction Islamic Jihad that left 34 Palestinians dead and dozens of Israelis injured.