Hamas has responded to Israel’s renewed offensive attack on the Gaza Strip with three M29 rockets that targeted Tel Aviv, a city which plays a central role in Israel’s economy.
The projectiles were fired on Thursday, destroying occupied territories “deep inside” the city, according to the Hamas military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades.
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The rockets are the first to be fired from Gaza since Israel broke the two-month-old ceasefire agreement with Hamas on Tuesday by launching an attack that killed 404 Palestinians and left 562 others injured.
The strikes are considered the deadliest since the ceasefire deal took effect in January.
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It affected multiple parts of the strip; Khan Younis and Rafah City in the south, Gaza City in the north, and central regions, including Deir el-Balah.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, more than 200 children have been killed in the last three days.
Hamas described Israel’s attacks as a unilateral cancellation of the ceasefire that began on 19 January.
“Netanyahu and his extremist government are making a decision to overturn the ceasefire agreement, exposing prisoners in Gaza to an unknown fate,” Hamas said in a statement on Tuesday.
The group called on people in Arab and Islamic nations, along with the “free people of the world,” to take to the streets to protest the assault.
World leaders react
The deadly strikes on Gaza drew global condemnation, with world leaders calling them a violation of international law.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Mao Ning, said the country was “highly concerned” about the situation and urged Israel and Hamas to prevent escalation.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said the strikes were part of deliberate efforts to make the Gaza Strip uninhabitable and force the Palestinians into displacement.
Egypt, Qatar, Jordan and Turkey condemned the violence. UN chief António Guterres said he was “shocked” by the renewed strikes.
The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, also described the strikes on the Gaza Strip as horrifying. Similarly, Britain and France called for an end to the renewed hostilities.
Israel blames attack on Hamas
However, Israel said it plans to expand its military campaign against Hamas.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, accused Hamas of rejecting efforts by the US to extend the ceasefire and secure a deal for the release of the remaining hostages still held by Hamas.
He claimed Hamas’s refusal necessitated the renewed military attack on the strip.
“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal took effect on the eve of Mr Trump’s inauguration.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the phase saw Hamas return 25 living Israeli hostages and the remains of eight others in exchange for about 1,800 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel as well as five living Thai hostages.
The phase ended on 1 March, and negotiations for the second phase began afterwards.
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Israel had consulted with United States President Donald Trump about the strikes.
“As President Donald Trump has made it clear, Hamas, the Houthis, Iran, all those who seek to terrorise not just Israel but also the United States of America will see a price to pay. All hell will break loose,” she said.
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