Hamas claimed on Sunday that it had fired a barrage of rockets since Gaza towards central Israel as rocket sirens sounded for the first time in cities like Tel Aviv.
Hamas’ military wing said the attack and rocket fire could be heard in central Gaza, the Associated Press reported.
In a statement posted on its Telegram channel on Sunday, the al-Qassam Brigades said the rockets were launched in response to what it called “Zionist massacres against civilians”, Reuters reported.
The Israeli military said its air defenses intercepted several projectiles after eight rockets were launched from Rafah in the Gaza Strip towards Israel.
Militants have fired projectiles at communities around Gaza during the war, but have not fired longer-range rockets in months.
Tsafrir Abayov / AP
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from what appeared to be the first long-range rocket attack from Gaza since January, the Associated Press reported.
This latest escalation came hours after aid trucks entered Gaza from southern Israel under a new deal to bypass the Rafah crossing with Egypt. Israeli forces captured the southern town of Rafah earlier this month. It was unclear whether humanitarian groups would be able to access aid due to ongoing fighting in the region.
Egypt refuses to reopen its side of the Rafah crossing until control of the Gaza side is returned to the Palestinians. He agreed to temporarily divert traffic through Israel’s Kerem Shalom Terminal, Gaza’s main cargo terminal, after a call between US President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.
The war between Israel and Hamas, now in its eighth month, has killed nearly 36,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities. About 80 percent of the 2.3 million people have fled their homes, famine is widespread and U.N. officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine.
Hamas started the war with its October 7 attack on Israel, in which its militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and captured some 250 hostages. Hamas still holds around 100 hostages and the remains of around 30 others after most of the others were freed in a ceasefire last year.
SATURDAY, CBS News reported that U.S. diplomatic efforts Efforts to broker a deal to free hostages held in Gaza by Hamas are expected to continue over the coming week. Negotiators from Qatar, Egypt and the United States will participate in the negotiations.
“There is progress,” a senior Biden administration official told CBS News. “Contacts are ongoing and we are working closely with the Egyptian and Qatari mediators. These contacts will continue over the coming week as we seek to advance the negotiation process.”
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