JERUSALEM—Over the weekend, two rockets were fired from the Gaza strip to Israel. The rockets directly hit building in residential areas, but there were no casualties, Israeli authorities said.
A Kassam rocket fired from northern Gaza on Saturday night hit the roof of a building an educational institution in the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council, outside Sderot.
In a separate but more severe attack on Friday, a Grad rocket landed in Ashkelon, a city of 125,000 people. No casualties were reported but several people present at the scene were treated for shock. Several buildings and vehicles in the area suffered damage, according to an Israeli Defense Force statement.
In response to these to attacks, the Israeli air force targeted a “Hamas linked terror tunnel and a weapons-smuggling tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip,” IDF announced.
During the weekly cabinet meeting, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the weekend attacks, reiterating Israel’s right to defend itself.
“I view Hamas as being directly responsible for any attack on the State of Israel that originates in the Gaza Strip, and this is how the international community must see things. Israel reserves the right to defend its citizens and we will continue to take all necessary measures in order to defend the State of Israel, Israeli citizens and Israeli children,” said Netayahu according to a press release from the prime minister’s office.
Netanyahu also addressed the progress of negotiations with the Palestinians, saying the time is ripe to move to direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
Netanyahu stated that he had a round of meeting with regional and world leaders to help facilitate progress.
“I believe that they achieved one immediate goal - they created a better international climate for the start of direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority,” said Netanyahu in the opening remarks of the cabinet meeting on Sunday.
The prime minister added that he thinks that the international community expects the Palestinian Authority to enter into peace talks “not just in order to hold peace talks, but in order to achieve a peace settlement based on security.” said Netanyahu.
“I reiterate that, from the Israeli standpoint, this most important item is the preliminary condition. While it is not sufficient in itself, security is a fundamental condition and a necessary condition for achieving peace and there will be no compromise in its regard by the State of Israel,” he added.
A Kassam rocket fired from northern Gaza on Saturday night hit the roof of a building an educational institution in the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council, outside Sderot.
In a separate but more severe attack on Friday, a Grad rocket landed in Ashkelon, a city of 125,000 people. No casualties were reported but several people present at the scene were treated for shock. Several buildings and vehicles in the area suffered damage, according to an Israeli Defense Force statement.
In response to these to attacks, the Israeli air force targeted a “Hamas linked terror tunnel and a weapons-smuggling tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip,” IDF announced.
During the weekly cabinet meeting, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the weekend attacks, reiterating Israel’s right to defend itself.
“I view Hamas as being directly responsible for any attack on the State of Israel that originates in the Gaza Strip, and this is how the international community must see things. Israel reserves the right to defend its citizens and we will continue to take all necessary measures in order to defend the State of Israel, Israeli citizens and Israeli children,” said Netayahu according to a press release from the prime minister’s office.
Netanyahu also addressed the progress of negotiations with the Palestinians, saying the time is ripe to move to direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
Netanyahu stated that he had a round of meeting with regional and world leaders to help facilitate progress.
“I believe that they achieved one immediate goal - they created a better international climate for the start of direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority,” said Netanyahu in the opening remarks of the cabinet meeting on Sunday.
The prime minister added that he thinks that the international community expects the Palestinian Authority to enter into peace talks “not just in order to hold peace talks, but in order to achieve a peace settlement based on security.” said Netanyahu.
“I reiterate that, from the Israeli standpoint, this most important item is the preliminary condition. While it is not sufficient in itself, security is a fundamental condition and a necessary condition for achieving peace and there will be no compromise in its regard by the State of Israel,” he added.
