Israeli military responds to Hamas rocket attack, tensions rise in Gaza

Three Israeli soldiers were killed and 11 more wounded in a rocket attack claimed by Hamas on a staging ground near the Gaza Strip on Sunday (5 May).

The attack prompted the Israeli military to close a key border crossing.

Israel’s military reported that 10 projectiles were launched from Rafah in southern Gaza toward the area of the Kerem Shalom crossing, leading to its closure for aid trucks entering the coastal enclave.

Other crossings, however, remained open.

Hamas’ armed wing claimed responsibility for the attack but did not confirm the origin of the rockets.

According to a source close to the group quoted in Hamas media, the commercial crossing was not the intended target.

In response, Colonel Lerner of the Israeli military announced that military planes had destroyed the launcher responsible for the attack and targeted other “Hamas military infrastructure.”

In an @UNRWA complex‼️
As long as @UNLazzarini continues to give #Hamas a free pass, this will continue to happen. @IDF announce this evening that today an IAF fighter jets targeted and destroyed a Hamas command and control center in the central Gaza Strip which served as… pic.twitter.com/7fC9X4X4PD

— Lt. Col. (R) Peter Lerner (@LTCPeterLerner) May 5, 2024

Colonel Lerner also stated that the military had anticipated the possibility of rocket attacks due to its “preparations on the ground” near the southern border.

Soldiers were guarding heavy tanks and bulldozers in the area, with “pre-positioned protective elements” in place for them to take cover.

An internal investigation will be conducted to determine if soldiers took appropriate cover after sirens sounded.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the recent attack, stating it as evidence of Hamas’s disinterest in allowing aid into the territory, despite reports of dire humanitarian conditions by a United Nations official.

The ministry emphasized that while the Israeli army is actively facilitating humanitarian aid through the Kerem Shalom crossing, Hamas continues to launch rockets into the same area.

Israel reaffirmed its commitment to providing lifesaving aid to the people of Gaza, contrasting it with Hamas’s destructive actions.

🚨MOMENTS AGO: Sirens sounding in Kerem Shalom.

While the IDF is facilitating humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, terrorists fire rockets into the same area.

Israel remains committed to providing life-saving aid while Hamas remains…

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 5, 2024

Following the attack, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s national security minister and a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, urged Netanyahu to authorize a long-anticipated military assault on Rafah.

לא תקפנו בעזה וקיבלנו את השביעי באוקטובר,

לא תקפנו ברפיח וקיבלנו מתקפה מדויקת,

נתניהו, כנס לרפיח עכשיו!

— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) May 5, 2024

Shortly after a Hamas rocket attack, an Israeli airstrike hit a house in Rafah, resulting in three deaths and several injuries, as reported by Palestinian medics.

With over a million Palestinians seeking shelter in Rafah near the border with Egypt, the strike underscores the heightened tensions in the region.

Confirming the retaliation, the Israeli military stated that the airstrike targeted the launcher used by Hamas to fire projectiles and a nearby “military structure.”

The military condemned Hamas for exploiting humanitarian facilities and using Gazan civilians as shields, referring to the launches near the Rafah Crossing.

Amid the escalating violence, a subsequent Israeli air raid just before midnight claimed the lives of nine Palestinians, including a baby, in another house in Rafah.

Gaza health officials stated that the strike raised the death toll to at least 19 people on Sunday alone.

Ceasefire negotiations face challenges amid Gaza conflict

Meanwhile, negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict have reached a critical juncture.

Hamas insists on an end to Israel’s assault in exchange for releasing captives, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu firmly rejects such terms.

In Cairo, where talks are mediated by Egyptian and Qatari officials, both sides blamed each other for the deadlock on Sunday.

Hamas reiterated its demand for an end to the war as a precondition for any agreement, while Israeli officials did not attend the talks but reiterated Israel’s objective to disarm and dismantle Hamas.

Netanyahu expressed Israel’s willingness to halt hostilities to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, estimated to be over 100.

However, he emphasized that Israel cannot accept Hamas’s demand to withdraw all forces from Gaza, end the conflict, and leave Hamas in power.

The conflict was ignited by a cross-border raid by Hamas on 7 October, resulting in casualties and hostages.

According to Israeli tallies, the raid claimed the lives of 1,139 people and took 252 hostages.

The Gaza health ministry reported that more than 34,683 Palestinians have been killed and over 78,000 wounded in Israel’s assault.