Israel Strikes Hamas Targets in Retaliation for Gaza Rocket

[additional-authors]

Aaron Bandler

October 31, 2019

Israeli soldiers prepare their Tanks in a deployment area on July 24, 2014 on Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip. ashington’s top diplomat said global efforts to end 17 days of bloodshed in Gaza were progressing as the Palestinian death toll rose to 714 and airlines kept flights to Israel suspended over rocket fears. (Photo by Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched strikes against two Hamas targets on Oct. 31 in retaliation for a rocket fired earlier in the day.

The IDF tweeted the announcement:

After nearly a month of relative quiet between Israel and #Gaza, a rocket was just fired from Gaza at Israel.

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 31, 2019

In response to the rocket fired from #Gaza at #Israel earlier tonight, we targeted 2 Hamas military posts in Gaza.

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 31, 2019

The Gaza Strip rocket was fired toward the Eshkol region of southern Israel; the Iron Dome intercepted the missile, causing it to fall into a field, where it didn’t cause any damage. It is not publicly known what the extent of the damage was to the Hamas military targets.

According to the Times of Israel, an unspecified Palestinian terror group fired the rocket. Israel holds Hamas responsible for any rocket fire emanating from the Gaza Strip.

Israel and Hamas have been engaged in a series of rocket strikes and ceasefires throughout 2019; in May, Gaza rocket fire claimed the lives of four Israeli civilians, with nearly 700 rockets being fired from Gaza over the first weekend of that month.