Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, launched a barrage of rockets toward Tel Aviv on 20 March for the first time in months, coming after over 700 Palestinians were killed by Israel within a period of two days.
“The Qassam Brigades bombarded Tel Aviv with a barrage of rockets in response to the Zionist massacres against civilians,” the resistance movement announced via its Telegram channel.
The Israeli army said one rocket was intercepted, and two others “fell in open areas.”
The last time the Qassam Brigades or other resistance groups launched rockets at Israel was in early January, weeks before the ceasefire agreement. Despite over a year of brutal airstrikes and ground operations, Israeli forces failed to eradicate the resistance’s military capabilities.
The new rocket barrage follows several massacres committed by Israel in Gaza.
The Health Ministry in Gaza said on 20 March that Israeli attacks have killed at least 710 Palestinians and injured over 900 since the resumption of all-out war on the strip just two days ago.
A spokesperson for Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital confirmed that “710 martyrs and more than 900 wounded were transferred to hospitals in the past 48 hours.”
“Seventy percent of the wounded are women and children, most of whom are in critical condition. Some wounded passed away from receiving no medical care due to a lack of medical equipment,” the spokesperson added.
At least 50 Palestinians have been killed in several areas of the Gaza Strip since dawn on Thursday, according to the Civil Defense.
“There are still people trapped under the rubble of homes, and it is difficult for crews to extract them due to the lack of heavy equipment necessary for rescue and recovery operations. The closure of the Gaza Strip’s crossings and the failure to allow fuel into the strip threatens the work of our crews and service providers in the strip, and there is a possibility of service disruption if the crossings remain closed,” said Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud al-Basal.
He added that Gaza is “on the verge of famine” due to Israel’s closure of all border crossings and the prevention of aid from entering the enclave.
Meanwhile, the health sector is in a state of near collapse after over one year of war – during which hospitals were targeted systematically.
Israeli ground troops marched back into central Gaza on 19 March to take control of the Netzarim Corridor that splits the strip in two. The Israeli army had withdrawn from the corridor as part of the ceasefire that has now collapsed.
As part of the new ground operation, which is expected to escalate, Israeli forces launched incursions into the northern city of Beit Lahia on Thursday, army spokesman Avichay Adraee announced.