Gaza Fires Rockets Into Israel After Commando Raid

November 13, 2018 – More than 300 rockets and mortars were launched from Gaza into Israel last night following an Israeli commando raid the previous day that left eight dead including a Hamas commander.

A 40-year-old man was killed after a house was hit by a rocket in the town of Ashkelon in central Israel late last night, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

In Gaza, at least three Palestinians were killed, according to local officials, as Israel launched airstrikes at over 70 targets, including the headquarters of Al-Aqsa Television run by Hamas.

Over 60 of the rockets fired from the Palestinian enclave were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, but a number of buildings were hit and more than 50 people injured on the Israeli side, local officials said.

A bus erupted in flames after being hit by an anti-tank missile, wounding a soldier.

According to media reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short his visit to Paris and held a meeting with top security officials including Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman in Israel.

United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov said in a Twitter post yesterday, “The escalation in the past 24hrs is EXTREMELY dangerous and reckless. Rockets must STOP, restraint must be shown by all!”

The exchange of fire followed the Israeli commando raid near Khan Younis in the south of Gaza on Sunday, which resulted in the deaths of seven Palestinians including the Hamas commander and an Israeli military officer.

Since late March, more than 220 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire during protests near the border between Gaza and Israel.