Hamas Missile Attack on Tel Aviv Escalates Gaza Conflict

Hamas

Hamas Launches ‘Big Missile’ Attack on Tel Aviv, Sparking Escalation

Hamas announced a significant missile attack on Tel Aviv, sending shockwaves through the city for the first time in four months. This aggressive move came amidst Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza.

The Israeli military reported detecting eight projectiles crossing from Rafah, a southern Gaza Strip area where Israel continues its operations despite a U.N. court’s order to cease attacks. Some of these projectiles were intercepted, and no casualties were reported, according to Israeli emergency services.

In a statement via Telegram, the Hamas al-Qassam Brigades claimed the rockets were a response to “Zionist massacres against civilians.” The Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV confirmed the rockets were launched from Gaza, specifically from Rafah, about 100 kilometers south of Tel Aviv.

Israel’s Military Response

Israel’s military focus remains on rooting out Hamas fighters in Rafah and rescuing hostages reportedly held in the area. However, this offensive has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, drawing international criticism. On Sunday, Israeli strikes resulted in the deaths of at least five Palestinians in Rafah Attack , according to local medical sources.

Israeli tanks have approached Rafah’s outskirts but have yet to fully enter the city. Following the missile attack, Israel’s hardline public security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, called for intensified military action in Rafah. “Rafah with full force,” he posted on social media platform X.

The conflict has claimed nearly 36,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Israel’s offensive began after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israeli communities on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages.

In the northern Gaza area of Jabaliya, intense fighting continues. The Israeli military reported discovering a weapons storage site in a school, contradicting Hamas claims that Palestinian fighters had abducted an Israeli soldier.

Read More:Renewed Hope Israel and Hamas to Resume Hostage Negotiations

Truce Talks and Humanitarian Aid

Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire and secure the release of more than 100 hostages held in Gaza have stalled for weeks. However, recent meetings between Israeli and U.S. intelligence officials and Qatar’s prime minister suggest potential progress. An official indicated that talks might resume this week based on new proposals from Egyptian and Qatari mediators, with active U.S. involvement.

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Despite these discussions, a senior Hamas official, Izzat El-Reshiq, downplayed the likelihood of immediate talks, stating that Hamas had not received any new communication from mediators. He reiterated Hamas’s demands for a complete and permanent end to Israeli aggression across Gaza, not just in Rafah.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has emphasized that the war will continue until Hamas is fully eliminated, regardless of the hostage situation.

Aid Efforts Amidst Conflict

Amid calls for increased humanitarian aid, Israel prepared to allow around 200 aid trucks into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, bypassing the blocked Rafah crossing. This decision followed an agreement between U.S. President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to temporarily send aid through the crossing.

Khaled Zayed, an Egyptian Red Crescent official, confirmed that 200 trucks of aid, including four fuel trucks, were expected to enter Gaza via Kerem Shalom on Sunday. Egypt’s state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV shared footage of the aid trucks entering the crossing, previously the main commercial route between Israel, Egypt, and Gaza.

The Rafah crossing has been closed for nearly three weeks since Israel took control of the Palestinian side as part of its intensified offensive. Egypt, concerned about a potential influx of Palestinians, has kept its side of the crossing shut.

Israel maintains it is not restricting aid flows, having opened new crossing points in the north and cooperating with the United States to facilitate aid deliveries through a temporary floating pier.

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