Palestinian Anti-Air Defenses Force Israeli Warplanes to Leave Gaza
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on the city of Khan Yunis in southern besieged Gaza Strip but had to leave after being confronted by anti-air defenses of the Hamas resistance movement.
The Palestinian Ma'an news agency said Israeli jets fired three missiles at the al-Qadisiyah district early Tuesday.
The aircraft, however, had to leave after being confronted by anti-air defenses of the Hamas movement.
“Our air defenses confronted the occupation's aircraft with surface-to-air missiles at exactly 01:35 this morning," Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the resistance movement, said in a statement.
The Palestinian Shehab news agency shared on its Twitter account video clips showing the moment Israeli jets were targeted.
Israeli authorities said Tuesday’s airstrikes were conducted in response to a rocket fired into the occupied territories from the besieged Gaza strip.
Late Monday, the Israeli military said sirens sounded in areas near the fence erected by the regime to separate Gaza from the occupied territories.
The military later claimed that its Iron Dome missile systems had intercepted a projectile fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel.
The developments come amid a rise in violent attacks by Israeli troops and settlers across the Palestinian territories since the beginning of Ramadan.
On Friday, Israeli troops raided the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, firing sound bombs and rubber bullets at worshipers. According to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRSC), at least 152 fasting Palestinians were injured in the raids.
Since March 22, dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank where prime minister Naftali Bennett has given Israeli forces a free hand to target Palestinians.