Air Force Strikes Hamas Targets in Response to Missile Attack

Jerusalem, 9 August, 2017 (TPS) -- Israel Air Force jets struck two Hamas targets in the northern Gaza Strip overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday in response to the rocket attack near Ashkelon earlier in the evening.

No group took responsibility for the attack, but Israel holds Hamas responsible for all attacks stemming from Gaza.

Since 2001, Palestinians in Gaza have fired more than 15,200 rockets and mortars at Israeli cities, including more than 12,000 since Israel pulled its military out of the Strip and demolished 16 civilian communities there in 2005.

However, attacks have slowed in 2017, with eight attacks from Gaza since January (in addition to four attacks emanating from Sinai). In June, the air force struck several Hamas targets in response to a rocket attack; several false alarms have also gone off in the Gaza Belt region in recent months.