Hamas launched rocket attacks on Tel Aviv, Israel on Sunday, marking the first such action by the Palestinian extremist organization in months.
The sound of air raid sirens echoed through Tel Aviv on Sunday, causing local residents to seek shelter for the first time in months.
Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades, the largest and most well-equipped unit in the Gaza Strip, announced a barrage of missiles targeting Israel’s biggest city in response to what the organization called “the Jewish nationalist massacre of civilians.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that eight missiles were fired into Israeli territory from the Rafah area in the southern part of Gaza. The Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted some of the missiles. The IDF is intensively targeting the border city of Gaza, adjacent to Egypt.
Israeli emergency services stated that they have not received any reports of casualties.
A video obtained by Reuters shows debris from a rocket outside a school building. One rocket hit the roof of a house in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv.
According to Israeli media reports, in addition to Tel Aviv, many other cities and towns, including Herzliya and Petah Tikva, sounded missile alerts.
This is the first time in months that the IDF has sounded alarms in Tel Aviv, warning of possible rocket attacks.
Moreover, a spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades also claimed on Sunday that Hamas militants captured Israeli soldiers during battles in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on Saturday.
Hamas released a video showing what appeared to be a bloodied body being dragged along the floor of a tunnel. However, the Israeli military denied this claim.
In a statement, the IDF said, “There have been no incidents of soldiers being kidnapped.”