Israel-Palestinian conflict LIVE: Militants fire over 5,000 rockets from Gaza toward Israel, 1 killed | Latest updates
AFP journalist and medics said that at least one person had been killed in Israel. The early morning barrage lasted more than 30 minutes. Its sound could be heard in Haza and sirens wailed as far away as Tel Aviv, according to a report published by The Associated Press.
A 70-year-old woman was critically injured when a rocket hit a building in southern Israel, and a 20-year-old man was also moderately injured by rocket shrapnel, said Israel's Magen David Adom rescue agency. Following this, the Israel Defense Minister approved a call-up of military reservists and declared a "state of war alert", Reuters reported. The Israeli military says it is striking targets in the Gaza Strip as air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem after the Hamas militant group announced a new operation against Israel.
The Hamas' armed wing declared it had started "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood". "We decided to put an end to all the crimes of the occupation (Israel), their time for rampaging without being held accountable is over," the group said. A video from Gaza showed what looked like the lifeless body of an Israeli soldier being trampled by an angry crowd shouting “God is Great." Another video appeared to show Palestinian militants dragging away a live Israeli soldier on a motorcycle.
Other videos showed a crowd of Palestinian men dancing around and atop an Israeli tank that was on fire. The authenticity of the videos could not immediately be verified. It is pertinent to mention that the Israeli military usually carries out airstrikes in response to rocket fire, raising the likelihood of wider fighting.
Read more on livemint.com
