The Israel Defense Forces announced that it ordered retaliatory airstrikes targeting “terror sites” in Gaza hours after two rockets were launched in the direction of Tel Aviv on Thursday night.
“Two rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israeli territory. The alert and warning systems operated as required,” the IDF said. “No interceptions were made by aerial defense systems. No damage or injuries were reported. There are no special instructions for the civilian home front.”
The sirens were last activated in Tel Aviv two years ago, but ended up being a false alarm.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conducted an emergency security meeting in Tel Aviv, where the army is headquartered, according to the prime minister’s office. The decision to launch these strikes in response was reportedly made at the consultation.
This is the first time since “Operation Protective Edge” in 2014 that central Israel had been targeted by Gaza terrorists.
“We are aware of reports of rockets fired from Gaza into Israel and are closely monitoring the situation,” a U.S. State Department official told JNS. “We fully support Israel’s right to self-defense. We call on those responsible for launching rockets to cease this violence immediately.”
