DM Monitoring
GAZA: A rocket launched by Hamas from the Gaza Strip landed in the sea off the coast of Tel Aviv on Tuesday afternoon, marking a significant moment in the ongoing conflict as it was the first such strike on the Tel Aviv area since late May.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the incident, which comes amid increasing tensions and ongoing Israeli military actions in Gaza.
Residents of Tel Aviv reported hearing a loud explosion, though no warning sirens were activated, in line with IDF policy that triggers alarms only in areas directly threatened by rocket impacts.
The IDF acknowledged that another rocket was detected but did not cross into Israeli territory.
Hamas has claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that two M90 long-range rockets were fired towards Tel Aviv from the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis.
This area is currently under heavy Israeli military operations, as IDF forces have been carrying out targeted raids since last Friday.
Sources within Hamas indicated that the rockets were fired in response to ongoing Israeli aggression, including recent assassinations of prominent Palestinian leaders.
Hamas’s actions can be seen as a form of resistance, aiming to prevent Israeli forces from gaining control over its resources and to assert its stance against occupation.
The last time Tel Aviv was targeted was in May when rockets fired from Rafah triggered alarms across central Israel. Hamas’s continued use of its rocket arsenal underscores its determination to resist Israeli military advances, even in the face of significant challenges.
Earlier, on Saturday morning, Israel struck a school sheltering around 2,400 displaced Palestinians in Gaza City. At least 100 people have been reported killed in this atrocity. The accounts given by eyewitnesses are horrifying; many of the bodies were charred and dismembered.
When TTP terrorists struck the APS in Peshawar a decade ago, there was worldwide revulsion at the fact that the militants had slaughtered over 140 people, primarily minors.
While that tragedy has not been forgotten by Pakistan, Israel has been unleashing similarly monstrous violence upon Gaza’s civilians since last October.
Throughout this one-sided conflict — perhaps better described as a genocidal campaign — Tel Aviv has hardly batted an eyelid as it hit schools, hospitals and people queuing for food, all in the name of targeting Hamas. Even after the latest tragedy, Israel said it had hit “Hamas terrorists and commanders”. Does this justify the burning alive and dismemberment of countless non-combatants, including children, in the process? Clearly, in Israel’s twisted worldview, it does.
Can Tel Aviv’s assertions that it is ready to discuss a ceasefire really be taken seriously in the aftermath of such bloodbaths? The US, Qatar and Egypt have recently called for resuming truce talks. But it appears that Israel is only playing for time, and is not serious about peace, or else it would not slaughter 100 people after agreeing to attend the talks. The fact is that the longer the slaughter in Gaza continues, the longer Benjamin Netanyahu can cling to power. Perhaps this is a reason why the Israeli prime minister is determined to set the Middle East on fire by provoking Iran and its armed regional allies. If a bigger conflagration ensues, Mr Netanyahu can claim he is defending his country from ‘evil’ Iran, and most of his Western friends may lap it up.
