Israeli strikes at Gaza Strip after rocket attacks from Hamas rival the Omar Brigades
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Israeli aircraft struck the Gaza Strip yesterday after the latest in a series of Palestinian rocket attacks that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the international community of ignoring. The Omar Brigades, an offshoot of the Jihadi Salafis, a Palestinian group that supports Islamic State (IS), claimed responsibility for Saturday’s salvo, which, like the Israeli strike, caused no casualties.
Israel closed its border crossings with the Hamas-controlled enclave and President Netanyahu hinted at a stronger Israeli military response if the cross-border attacks persist.
It was the third such rocket strike by the Jihadi Salafis, the radical rivals of Hamas, who are demanding the ruling Islamist movement in the Gaza Strip release imprisoned IS sympathisers and that Israel frees Palestinian inmates.
Political analysts in Gaza said the Salafis hoped the prospect of the collapse of Hamas’s ceasefire with Israel, after a 50-day war nearly a year ago, would pressure the group to free the men.
Israel said that as the dominant force in the Gaza Strip, Hamas bore overall responsibility for any rocket attacks from the enclave of 1.8 million Palestinians. President Netanyahu seized on the strikes to launch his own attack against international criticism of his right-wing government’s policies toward the Palestinians and its opposition to a burgeoning nuclear deal between world powers and Iran.
“I did not hear anybody in the international community condemn this firing at us from Gaza, neither has the UN said a word,” he told his Cabinet in public remarks.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments