Israel Strikes Rocket-Launching Post in Gaza Used by Hamas to Attack Tel Aviv

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Israeli Air Force jets struck more than 40 targets in Gaza on August 14, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. Among the sites hit was a rocket-launching position located in a humanitarian corridor that was used by Hamas terrorists to fire two rockets at Tel Aviv on August 13, one of which landed in the Mediterranean Sea, with the second failing to even leave Gaza. A Hamas statement on its Telegram channel attributed to its spokesman Abu Obeidah claimed that the terrorist group had attempted to “bombard Tel Aviv and its suburbs with two M90 missiles [long-range rockets with a 90-km range] in response to the Zionist massacres against civilians and the deliberate displacement of our people.”

IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said in a post on social media that “Hamas terrorists continue to terrorize Israelis and endanger the Gazans around them.” A separate IDF statement noted that the “Hamas terrorist organization continues to deliberately embed its military assets used to carry out attacks against Israel next to humanitarian infrastructure and the civilian population inside the Gaza Strip.”

Hamas launched rockets from a humanitarian corridor toward central Israel, the IDF said on August 14. “Hamas terrorists continue to terrorize Israelis and endanger the Gazans around them,” IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said in a post on social media. He also posted footage of Hamas launching the two rockets aimed at Tel Aviv. “The Hamas terrorist organization continues to deliberately embed its military assets used to carry out attacks against Israel next to humanitarian infrastructure and the civilian population inside the Gaza Strip,” the IDF added.

Expert Analysis

“The brazen attempt to target Tel Aviv with rockets by firing them from a humanitarian route in Gaza illustrates how Hamas continues to use every civilian area in Gaza for terrorist purposes. Hamas knows that the humanitarian routes and areas in Gaza are key areas for providing support to civilians, and it is now trying to hide in these areas to use them for protection.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow

“Hamas and other terrorist groups feel compelled to demonstrate they are actively fighting Israel despite intense IDF pressure. One of the most visible ways to convey this is by launching rockets at communities and cities in Israel. If Hamas and its allies are unable to carry out such attacks, it would serve as a significant indication that Israel has severely compromised their capacity for warfare.” —Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal 

Israel Encourages Civilians to Evacuate Areas Near Khan Younis

In the wake of continued terrorist threats from areas near Khan Younis, the IDF encouraged civilians to evacuate several areas near the southern Gazan city. IDF Arabic Spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee posted a map of an area in the Bani Suheila neighborhood that has been used by terrorists as he called on civilians to move west toward a humanitarian zone. In addition, the IDF continued to carry out precision strikes against terrorists in Gaza, which came as Hamas told pro-Iranian media outlets in the Arab world that it would not participate in ceasefire talks with Israel scheduled for August 15.

Related Analysis

“Israel Issues Warning Over Iran, Hamas Destabilization of Jordan and West Bank,” FDD Flash Brief

“Hamas Terrorist Released Through Ceasefire Deal Strikes Again in West Bank,” FDD Flash Brief

“Hamas Shuns New Talks on Gaza Ceasefire,” FDD Flash Brief