The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continued to pound Palestinian terrorist groups on Thursday night and into Friday morning in retaliation for the more than 2,000 rockets and mortars fired at Israel this week.
The rockets have killed at least seven Israeli citizens, wounded well over 500 more, and have hit a school, a hospital, a bus, and citizen’s homes. In response to the attacks, the IDF has launched more than 650 strikes on terror targets inside Gaza — including sites where rockets are launched, terrorist facilities and tunnels — which have killed more than 100 Palestinian terrorists with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
“In a 40-minute long air campaign which began around midnight, some 160 aircraft dropped over 450 missiles on 150 targets belonging to a network of tunnels dug by the terror group known as ‘the Metro’ under Gaza city,” The Jerusalem Post reported. “Israeli tanks, artillery cannons and troops from the Golani brigade stationed along the border also carried out barrages towards Hamas targets when they came out to attack Israeli targets. A total of some 500 artillery shells and another 50 tank shells were used.”
The strikes come after Israel has reportedly turned down calls for a ceasefire as Hamas is essentially trying to cry uncle after kicking the hornet’s nest. Defense Minister Benny Gantz said this week that Israel’s military operations against the terrorists would continue until there is a “a total, long-term quiet.”
Here are some of the recent scenes from Israel’s military action against the terrorists:
The target: The Hamas ‘Metro’ tunnel system in Gaza.
The operation: 160 aircraft, tanks, artillery and infantry units along the border.
We struck 150 targets and damaged many kilometers of the Hamas ‘Metro’ network. pic.twitter.com/otn7JKxB9c
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 14, 2021
The IDF has released more footage from last nights operation in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/CystAKchhL
— Aurora Intel (@AuroraIntel) May 14, 2021
From the interceptions over Beersheba a short while ago
(Video: מצב בטחוני גלובלי) pic.twitter.com/sQ32N9oua0
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 13, 2021
IDF says they struck several underground rocket launching positions, as well as a drone launcher aimed at central Israel pic.twitter.com/j1DI9Y2nrP
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 14, 2021
IDF says they struck a cell of Hamas operatives in the northern Gaza Strip, while preparing to launch rockets into central Israel. pic.twitter.com/ZUv7Xy91SK
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 14, 2021
Israeli Air Force video of last nights large scale operation in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/no4pOwze5s
— Aurora Intel (@AuroraIntel) May 14, 2021
A Hamas terror squad was about to launch more rockets from Gaza into Israel.
We stopped them before they could. pic.twitter.com/d7TRrS4yxz
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 14, 2021
Video footage showing the damage caused by IDF strikes in Beit Hanoun overnight. pic.twitter.com/Bc4TPcTJCz
— Aurora Intel (@AuroraIntel) May 14, 2021
A bombardment by the IDF in the northern #Gaza Strip. #Israel pic.twitter.com/z6enbSHUXs
— Joe Truzman (@Jtruzmah) May 13, 2021
The neighborhood of Shejaiya after overnight targeting of northern #Gaza by the IDF. #Israel pic.twitter.com/aWGj7d4mcv
— Joe Truzman (@Jtruzmah) May 14, 2021
The Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), has claimed that 109 Palestinians have been killed, including more than two dozen minors, with hundreds more wounded. Those numbers should be met with serious skepticism because Hamas is a terrorist organization, and thus not credible.
“Of the 1,750+ rockets that they have fired since Monday, 300 misfired and exploded inside Gaza, killing and injuring innocent Gazans in the vicinity,” the IDF said in a statement. “This is because Hamas and Islamic Jihad deliberately place rocket launchers and military sites within densely populate civilian areas in the Gaza Strip. In addition, when the IDF warns Gazan civilians to evacuate, Hamas and Islamic Jihad encourage civilians to stay instead.”
International support for Israel seems to be building as they continue their war against Palestinian terrorism, with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz raising an Israeli flag on the roof of the Federal Chancellery and issuing a statement saying that the nation stands by Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by writing on Twitter: “Thank you Chancellor @sebastianjurz and the people of Austria for standing with Israel.”
Thank you Chancellor @sebastiankurz and the people of Austria for standing with Israel 🇦🇹🇮🇱 https://t.co/hod1rxb1Lm
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) May 14, 2021
German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned extremists in her country that anti-Semitic demonstrations will not be tolerated after fringe groups shouted anti-Jewish hate slogans and burned Israeli flags outside synagogues.
“Anyone who attacks a synagogue or defiles Jewish symbols shows that for them it is not about criticizing a state or the policies of a government, but about aggression and hate towards a religion and the people who belong to it,” Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert said, adding that “our democracy will not tolerate antisemitic demonstrations.”