Heinrich
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As Operation Pillar of Defense entered its second day, the IDF braced
towards an escalation in the rocket fire on Israel, especially during the
funeral of Hamas military chief Ahmed Al-Jabari on Thursday morning.
Since beginning the operation Wednesday, the IAF struck over 100 targets
using precise intelligence information. According to top army officials,
strikes were mounted around the clock. So far 10 Palestinians have been
killed in the attacks, most of them terrorists.
IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz continued on Thursday to orchestrate the
operation from the army's headquarters in Tel Aviv. The army expected Gaza
terror groups to step up their rocket-launching efforts,
which are expected to peak around 11:30am Thursday, during Al-Jabari's
funeral. Over 110 rockets were fired on Israel since the beginning of the
operation, primarily towards Beersheba. Most were intercepted, while the
rest exploded in open areas. Some caused damage.
The bulk of the rockets are launched from refugee camps in the center of the
Gaza Strip, including Khan Younis and Bureij. Around 6 am the IAF took out a
Hamas cell that consisted of three operatives who were preparing to fire
rockets on Beersheba. Since Saturday, five terror cells were struck while
attempting to launch rockets on Israel.
The army noted that the Islamic Jihad was also hit hard in the strikes, with
weapon caches and labs being destroyed.
The IDF further said that many of the weapon storage facilities that were
targeted were located in civilian buildings. In addition to airstrikes, that
army shelled terror hubs using tanks.
The IAF began airdropping leaflets on Gaza early on Thursday morning,
warning civilians to stay away from terror hubs. The IDF stressed that
terrorists are the targets of the army's strikes, not civilians.
The IDF further said that all Gaza terror groups have taken part in the
latest escalation in rocket fire, with Hamas leading the efforts. The army
denied Palestinian reports that the terrorists attempted to fire on an
Israeli missile ship and on Tel Aviv.