The Israeli military struck multiple Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip Saturday morning, including rocket launchers and underground infrastructure, the IDF said, following a rocket salvo fired on border-adjacent communities overnight.
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The terrorist group did not claim responsibility for the attacks, but the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said it fired some of the rockets.
Sirens blared in dozens of Israeli communities near the Gaza border, including Ashkelon, Eshkol, Sdot Negev, Sha'ar Hanegev and Hof Ashkelon regional councils.
At least 21 rockets were fired in the worst attack from the Strip in months. The Iron Dome defense system intercepted four projectiles. There were no immediate reports of casualties on either side of the border.
In response to rockets fired at Israel throughout the night, we just struck Hamas terror targets in Gaza, including:
underground infrastructure
Terror targets civilians.
We target terror.— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 24, 2021
On Friday night, the IDF Home Front Command instructed residents in the area to stay inside and near fortified areas, but lifted the order later on Saturday morning.
Most likely it is the recent tensions in the Israeli capital that sparked the worst round of cross-border violence between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers in months.
Skirmishes have spiked in recent days in Jerusalem, which has long been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and is home to holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Residents braced for possible further unrest as police stepped up security and the US Embassy appealed for calm.
On Friday, Israeli police said 44 people were arrested and 20 officers were wounded in a night of chaos in Jerusalem, where security forces separately clashed with Palestinians angry about Ramadan restrictions and Jewish extremists who held an anti-Arab march nearby.
The Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades. Hamas' military wing, warned Israel "not to test" its patience.
Palestinians have clashed with Israeli police on a nightly basis since the start of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. The tensions began when police placed barricades outside the Old City's Damascus Gate, where Muslims traditionally gather to enjoy the evening after the daytime fast.
The clashes intensified Thursday evening when hundreds of Palestinians hurled stones and bottles at police, who fired a water cannon and stun grenades to disperse them. Dozens of Palestinians were wounded in the melee.
At the same time, a far-right Jewish group known as Lahava led a march of hundreds of protesters chanting "Arabs get out!" toward the Damascus Gate.
The show of force came in response to videos circulated on TikTok showing Palestinians slapping religious Jews at random. Other videos made in response to them appear to show Jews assaulting Arabs.
After keeping them a few hundred yards away from Damascus Gate, Police used water cannon, stun grenades and mounted police to push far-right protesters back toward mostly Jewish west Jerusalem.
The US Embassy in Israel said it was "deeply concerned" about the violence in recent days. "We hope all responsible voices will promote an end to incitement, a return to calm, and respect for the safety and dignity of everyone in Jerusalem," it said in a statement.
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