Israeli fighter pilots and IDF tanks struck more than 40 terrorist targets in Gaza, including 35 separate targets in seven sites belonging to Gaza’s ruling Hamas terrorist organization, and its allied Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group. These included military compounds, munition storage warehouses, naval targets and terrorist command centers.
“As part of the attack, a Hamas offensive terror tunnel was neutralized in the Kerem Shalom humanitarian aid crossing. The tunnel passes from Gaza into Egyptian territory and from there crosses into Israeli territory. This is the 10th tunnel neutralized since last October,” noted Israeli Consul General to New York, Dani Dayan. “Israel views attacks on its residents with severity and will continue to act with determination to save lives and protect the security of its citizens, as any other country would. Hamas bears complete responsibility for attacks from the Gaza Strip.”
The actions of the terrorist factions Tuesday night and in the next 24 hours will determine whether Israel will be forced into a wartime stance, or simply that of a heightened alert, security cabinet officials told Hebrew-language radio interviewers early Tuesday evening.
The continued rocket and mortar attacks despite the restrained Israeli military response — carefully gauged to avoid casualties in the Gaza Strip, even among the terrorist factions — increased the chances that Israeli leaders are likely to see no option other than a comprehensive military response to end the rocket and mortar attacks on its civilian population.
