When the rocket sirens were sounded, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was speaking in Askelon and was rushed off stage. A similar incident occurred in Ashdod in September.
Israeli military aircraft carried out strikes in Gaza early Thursday, hours after rocket fire toward the southern city of Ashkelon forced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt a campaign event and take cover.
The Israeli military said warplanes and helicopter gunships struck several targets belonging to the Hamas terror group, “including the group’s military complexes.” It said the strikes were in response to Wednesday’s rocket fire.
IDF fighter jets and helicopters attacked several Hamas terror targets in the Gaza Strip, including the organization’s military complexes, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said on Thursday. The attack was in response to rocket fire from Gaza at Israel on Wednesday night.
The IDF said, "Hamas is responsible for everything occurring in and out of the Gaza Strip and it will bear the consequences for actions against Israeli citizens."
On Wednesday evening, one rocket was fired into Israel and successfully intercepted by the Iron Dome system causing rocket sirens to blast in Ashkelon and areas north of the city.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was holding an event in Ashkelon as the rocket sirens went off. Sirens were heard in Ashkelon, Emunim, Sde Oziahu, Azrikim, Beer Ganim, Berachia, Hodaya, Nitzanim, Nir Yisrael and Beer Tuviah.
Netanyahu was taken off stage to a shelter as the sirens were sounded and Culture Minister Miri Regev took the stage in his place. Multiple other Likud officials who were at the event were not brought to a shelter. Netanyahu returned to the stage shortly afterward.
Netanyahu was in the middle of a campaign event in Ashkelon at the time and was forced to evacuate to a bomb shelter along with the dozens of supporters in the room.
A similar incident happened in Ashdod in September when rocket sirens went off as Netanyahu held a campaign event in the city during a rocket onslaught. In both incidents, live videos on Facebook showed him being interrupted and led off stage.
Gazan reports indicated that Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) leader Khalil Bathanai is the one behind the rocket fire on Wednesday night, according to Channel 12. The rocket fire in September was ordered by former PIJ official Baha Abu Al Ata, who was assassinated in November.
In a statement early Thursday, the Israeli military said it held Hamas, the de facto ruler in the Strip, responsible for any activities in the Strip. “It will suffer the consequences of activities against Israeli citizens,” the army said.
In most cases, senior politicians refrain from announcing their visits to the area surrounding the Gaza Strip ahead of time out of concerns that it could attract attacks. That was not the case with the September and Wednesday night events. In both cases, the prime minister had publicized that he would be attending in advance. The Likud leadership primary is scheduled to be held Thursday.
Last week saw a series of mortar and rocket attacks, as well as several attempts by Palestinians to breach the border fence separating Israel and the Gaza Strip. However, on Monday Israel said it was extending the Gaza fishing zone back to 15 kilometers, a sign of a return to calm.
Israeli military aircraft carried out strikes in Gaza early Thursday, hours after rocket fire toward the southern city of Ashkelon forced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt a campaign event and take cover.
The Israeli military said warplanes and helicopter gunships struck several targets belonging to the Hamas terror group, “including the group’s military complexes.” It said the strikes were in response to Wednesday’s rocket fire.
IDF fighter jets and helicopters attacked several Hamas terror targets in the Gaza Strip, including the organization’s military complexes, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said on Thursday. The attack was in response to rocket fire from Gaza at Israel on Wednesday night.
The IDF said, "Hamas is responsible for everything occurring in and out of the Gaza Strip and it will bear the consequences for actions against Israeli citizens."
On Wednesday evening, one rocket was fired into Israel and successfully intercepted by the Iron Dome system causing rocket sirens to blast in Ashkelon and areas north of the city.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was holding an event in Ashkelon as the rocket sirens went off. Sirens were heard in Ashkelon, Emunim, Sde Oziahu, Azrikim, Beer Ganim, Berachia, Hodaya, Nitzanim, Nir Yisrael and Beer Tuviah.
Netanyahu was taken off stage to a shelter as the sirens were sounded and Culture Minister Miri Regev took the stage in his place. Multiple other Likud officials who were at the event were not brought to a shelter. Netanyahu returned to the stage shortly afterward.
Netanyahu was in the middle of a campaign event in Ashkelon at the time and was forced to evacuate to a bomb shelter along with the dozens of supporters in the room.
A similar incident happened in Ashdod in September when rocket sirens went off as Netanyahu held a campaign event in the city during a rocket onslaught. In both incidents, live videos on Facebook showed him being interrupted and led off stage.
Gazan reports indicated that Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) leader Khalil Bathanai is the one behind the rocket fire on Wednesday night, according to Channel 12. The rocket fire in September was ordered by former PIJ official Baha Abu Al Ata, who was assassinated in November.
In a statement early Thursday, the Israeli military said it held Hamas, the de facto ruler in the Strip, responsible for any activities in the Strip. “It will suffer the consequences of activities against Israeli citizens,” the army said.
In most cases, senior politicians refrain from announcing their visits to the area surrounding the Gaza Strip ahead of time out of concerns that it could attract attacks. That was not the case with the September and Wednesday night events. In both cases, the prime minister had publicized that he would be attending in advance. The Likud leadership primary is scheduled to be held Thursday.
Last week saw a series of mortar and rocket attacks, as well as several attempts by Palestinians to breach the border fence separating Israel and the Gaza Strip. However, on Monday Israel said it was extending the Gaza fishing zone back to 15 kilometers, a sign of a return to calm.
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