No Transgression Goes Unpunished: Israel Bombs 20 Targets, Destroys Hamas Facilities In Retaliation 

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in retaliation to the rocket attacks that took place in the southern city of Beersheba and greater Tel Aviv area on Wednesday (17 October) bombed several targets in Gaza, The New Indian Express has reported.

No injuries were reported in the rocket attack on Israeli city of Beersheba as the residents of the home directly hit by the rocket, were able to slip into a reinforced bomb shelter a short while before the attack.

According to a report, the rocket was the second such projectile fired at Beersheba since the Israel-Palestine conflict in Gaza in 2014. A rocket was earlier fired from Palestinian side on August 9 at Beersheba along with dozens of other projectiles aimed at at Israeli communities along the Gaza border.

In the retaliatory strikes, IDF bombed 20 targets in the Gaza strip at the southern Gaza, Rafah, Khan Younis, central Ghaza city and in the north of the enclave near Beit Lahiya. A naval tunnel’s entrance intended to be used by Hamas was also destroyed in the airstrikes. A number of military bases, weapons factory and other facilities of Hamas used in tunnel-building were also bombed by the jets of the Israeli Air Force.

According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry of Ghaza, the Israeli strikes near Rafah left three people moderately wounded.

IDF spokesperson stated that only two organisations, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) were capable of launching rockets of the calibre.

Hamas and PIJ, however, have publicly condemned the rocket attack on Beersheba in a joint statement terming it as “irresponsible” and damaging to the Egypt-led negotiation effort.