IDF Strikes Terrorists in Response to Rocket Fire From Gaza

Latest Developments

The Israeli military responded to rocket launches from Gaza with airstrikes and artillery, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on March 15. Hamas rocket fire from Gaza has significantly declined over the past two months, as IDF forces have eliminated Hamas rocket launch teams and dismantled terrorist infrastructure. On March 13 and March 14, sirens sounded in Israeli border communities north of Gaza, indicating suspected rocket or mortar fire threats. On March 14, the IDF said it spotted and struck terrorists in central Gaza who launched a mortar at the Israeli communities. The IDF located them within five minutes of launching the attack.

Expert Analysis

“Hamas rocket fire has been defeated by Israel’s operations in Gaza. The terrorist group began its attack on Israel on October 7 by launching thousands of rockets at Israel. Defeating the rocket threat is only one part of the campaign to defeat terrorism in Gaza and uproot the terrorist infrastructure that Hamas has built over the last 15 years. It is essential that the IDF be supported in its continued operations to defeat Hamas and recent threats to Israel.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow

“The significant reduction of rocket and mortar fire from the Gaza Strip is an achievement for the Israeli military. The destruction of weapons caches and terrorist infrastructure has contributed greatly to this development. Moreover, as avenues for launching attacks on Israeli territory have dwindled, Hamas and its allies have been forced to shift their tactics toward targeting Israeli troops operating within Gaza.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

Israeli Counter-Terror Forces Find Rocket Launcher Near School

Elite Israeli counter-terrorism forces from the LOTAR unit found weapons used by terrorists in Gaza hidden under a bed in a civilian home. They also uncovered a rocket launcher near a school in Gaza, the IDF said on March 14. Further, the forces found mortars and a remote-control launch system during raids in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, the IDF said. Footage of the raids in Gaza showed a rocket launcher inside a building that terrorists had previously used.

In central Gaza, IDF forces eliminated a Hamas cell that they spotted loading weapons onto a vehicle. Additionally, Israeli forces uncovered and destroyed a 600-foot tunnel under an agricultural field. Hamas weapons were found in the tunnel.

Related Analysis

“Israel Kills Senior Hamas Terrorist in Rafah,” FDD Flash Brief

“Top Hamas Terrorist Targeted, Fate Unclear,” FDD Flash Brief

“Rocket fire by Hamas, Hezbollah targets Israel on two fronts,” by Seth J. Frantzman