According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), six mortars were launched from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel over the past hour, late Tuesday (May 2), taking the total tally of projectiles fired from Gaza in the span of a few hours, to at least 37, reported Times of Israel. The recent volley of rockets launched from the Gaza Strip began after an Islamic Jihad leader died in Israeli custody following an 87-day hunger strike.
Death of Palestinian hunger striker
According to Israel’s Prisons Service, Palestinian hunger striker, Khader Adnan, who was awaiting trial was found unconscious in his cell and taken to a hospital. However, he was declared dead after efforts to revive him failed. This is said to be the first such death in more than three decades.
Adnan had conducted at least three hunger strikes, since 2011, in protest at detentions without charges by Israel, but is a tactic often used by Palestinian prisoners but none of them have died since 1992, reported Reuters.
However, Khader Adnan’s lawyer Jamil al-Khatib and Lina Qasem-Hassan of Physicians for Human Rights in Israel, who recently met him, have accused Israeli authorities of withholding medical care. Al-Khatib told Reuters, how they asked that Adnan be moved to a civilian hospital to be “properly monitored,” but their demand was “met by intransigence and rejection”.
Adnan’s death sparks protests, violence
Hours after the Palestinian detainee’s death, hundreds of people took to the streets in blockaded Gaza and the occupied West Bank’s Ramallah. Adnan’s death has also been called an assassination by Palestinian leaders while the armed group Islamic Jihad warns Israel that it will “pay the price for this crime”.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh also described Adnan’s death as a “deliberate assassination”.
Meanwhile, a Palestinian gunman opened fire at Israeli vehicles and injured one person who was driving near the West Bank’s Avnei Hefetz, on Tuesday. The 39-year-old Israeli man travelling in one of the vehicles was lightly injured by glass shards, said the Israeli ambulance service, Magen David Adom. The incident took place hours after Adnan’s death, however, no group or individual had immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
A volley of rockets fired
The IDF, in an earlier statement, said that sirens were sounded across areas surrounding the Gaza Strip after several rocket launches. The Israeli military said at least three rockets were fired from Gaza in the hours after Adnan’s death and a further 26 were launched later in the afternoon.
According to media reports citing officials, two rockets landed in the southern city of Sderot which injured three foreign nationals, including a 25-year-old who was seriously wounded. As of late Tuesday, the IDF has confirmed that rockets fired from Gaza have hit multiple locations in southern Israel, including Kissufim and areas of Sderot.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting with security officials after the IDF said they were investigating how two rockets had penetrated their Iron Dome air defence system.
In a recent statement, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said he has completed several “operational situation assessments” after the rocket fire from Gaza Strip and the security forces will “act with determination” to defend their citizens.
Israeli retaliates
The IDF has said that they will carry out airstrikes in the Gaza Strip in response to the volley of rockets launched at Israel, earlier Tuesday. According to Palestinian media, explosions were heard across the northern part of Gaza. Meanwhile, the armed Hamas group said its members are firing missiles at Israeli aircraft over the Gaza Strip. This comes as Israeli Air Force is carrying out strikes in the Palestinian enclave.
Rockets fired also came hours after Syrian state media reported that Israel launched airstrikes targeting north Syria’s Aleppo province late Monday The report citing a military source also said that seven people were injured including two civilians and the supposed strike had since put the Aleppo international airport out of service.
(With inputs from agencies)
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