Islamic terrorists fired at least 70 rockets into Israel on Wednesday, March 12. Although 41 struck Israeli territory, including in the city of Sderot, only one slight injury has been reported. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) responded by launching air strikes in the Gaza Strip, hitting 29 targets.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attacks, the worst since November 2012:
“A statement released by the militant organization called the firings ‘a response to the crimes of the occupation, the most recent of which was the assassination of three [Islamic Jihad] members,’ Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported.”
Leaders in the United States and the United Kingdom condemned the rocket attacks. According to a release from the U.S. State Department:
“The United States condemns in the strongest terms today’s rocket attacks into Israel by terrorists from the Gaza Strip. There is no justification for such attacks. We call for these terrorist attacks to cease immediately. Israel, like any nation, has a right to defend itself.”
Israeli officials hoped that the IAF response would end what they called a “flare up.” But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left open the possibility for more strikes if needed: “If there is no quiet in our south, no quiet for the residents of Israel, there will be noise, lots of noise in Gaza.”
*Publication Date: 3/13/14
