By Deutsche Welle
01 Jul 2024, 18:33 PM EDT
The Islamic Jihad terrorist group launched around twenty projectiles from Gaza on Monday against several communities in southern Israel, most of which were intercepted and others fell on the ground without causing casualties, the Israeli army announced in a statement.
The attack, carried out by militants from the southern city of Khan Yunis, is the largest in recent months, when the number of missiles crossing the border into Israeli territory rarely reached more than a dozen.
“In response to crimes against our people”
“We have shelled Kissufim, Ein Hashlosha, Nirim, Sofa, Holit and the settlements in the Gaza area with rocket fire in response to the crimes of the Zionist enemy against our Palestinian people,” Islamic Jihad wrote in a statement claiming responsibility for the attack.
The Israeli army, for its part, said it was “attacking” the point of origin of the rocket launches in its statement.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported an Israeli bombardment in the town of Khuza’a, east of Khan Yunis, in which one Palestinian was killed and an undetermined number were wounded and taken to the European Hospital in Gaza.
Hamas attack on Israel
One of the latest high-profile launches from Palestinian territory towards Israel occurred on May 26, when eight Hamas rockets were aimed at the center of the country, including Tel Aviv.
It was the first attack on the area in four months, amid a decline in attacks by the militias, which are now facing the Israeli offensive in the north and south of Gaza, with particular emphasis on the Shujaiya neighbourhood of Gaza City and Rafah, respectively.
Thousands dead in Gaza
Since the war began, nearly 37,900 people have been killed in Gaza (mostly women and children) and nearly 87,000 wounded, according to data compiled by the Hamas-controlled health ministry in the Strip.
Added to this are the more than 10,000 bodies that remain under the rubble, with no access for ambulances or rescue teams.
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