Smoke and flames rise from a tower building as it is destroyed by Israeli air strikes amid a flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian violence, in Gaza City May 12, 2021. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
Hours after PM Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a clearly worded speech before Knesset which bore a message of war, Israel has stepped up its attacks on Gaza with more than 1,000 bombs and shells fired from air, land and sea overnight in the heaviest bombardment since fighting broke out earlier this week.
Jets and helicopters were the first to strike, firing 450 bombs and missiles at 150 targets in a 40-minute operation targeting Hamas tunnels in and around Gaza City, the IDF said.
That was followed by an artillery, tank and gunboat bombardment that involved 550 shells fired across the border. Hamas responded with 220 rockets targeting the Israeli cities of Ashdod, Ashkelon, Beersheba and Yavne.
Reports say three rockets were also fired at Israel from neighbouring Lebanon, though all fell short into the ocean. More street clashes also broke out in the mixed Israeli-Arab city of Lod with a synagogue burned down, while a 19-year-old IDF soldier was badly wounded in Jaffa and a Jewish family attacked inside their car in Umm al-Fahm.
The bombardment continued Friday with the IDF saying jets had bombed underground rocket launch sites and Hamas observation posts. The death toll now stands at 119 Palestinians and nine Israelis, including women and children on both sides.
