Rockets launched from Gaza landed in the Hof Hacarmel Regional Council, just south of Haifa, in the northernmost attack on Israel yet, the Times of Israel reports. Warning sirens sounded in Tel Aviv, Beersheba, and Ashkelon, as the Iron Dome missile intercepted rockets in the area.
As Operation Protective Edge enters its second day, more than 180 rockets have been fired from Gaza—48 on Wednesday alone, with the Iron Dome missile defense system reporting a 90 percent success rate—and Israeli air strikes have pummeled Gaza, killing at least 42 Palestinians, Haaretz reports.
The mounting attacks are likely only going to get worse. According to Haaretz, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his intention to expand Israel’s military campaign during a meeting with Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and IDF Chief Benny Gantz at the army’s Southern Command center.
“We’ve decided to escalate even further our attacks on Hamas and on the terrorist organizations in Gaza,” Netanyahu said at the end of his visit. “The IDF is prepared for every possibility. Hamas will pay a heavy price for the fire against Israeli citizens. The security of the citizens of Israel takes precedent over everything. Our army is strong, our home front is steadfast, and our nation is unified. This combination is our response to the terror organizations that want to harm us. We are all united in the mission to stop the terror organizations and bring back the quiet. The operation will expand and continue until the fire on our communities is over and the quiet is back.”
You can follow along with live blogs, which are being updated in real time, over at Haaretz and the Times of Israel.
Stephanie Butnick is chief strategy officer of Tablet Magazine, co-founder of Tablet Studios, and a host of the Unorthodox podcast.
