Hamas rockets hit Israeli airbase in Ashdod

Hamas’ military wing, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades announced yesterday that one of its rockets has hit the Israeli Sdot Micha Airbase in Ashdod, believed to be a rocket launch site for Jericho 1 and Jericho 2 missiles which carry nuclear heads.

In a statement the group said it targeted a number of sites in Ashdod, including the Sdot Micha Airbase, which was hit directly by a rocket.

Al-Qassam Brigades also bombed Haifa city, 130 kilometres north, with a rocket, Tel Aviv, 100 kilometres north, with three rockets, and Rishon Lezion, 100 kilometres north, with a rocket.

In an unprecedented move, on Saturday the group announced in advance that they would bomb Tel Aviv and its metropolitan area with 10 J80 missiles at 9pm on the same day, triggering panic among residents of Israel’s largest metropolitan area.

For a week now, the Israeli army has been launching intensive raids across Gaza, in a military operation dubbed “Operation Protective Edge“, which has led to the death of more than 170 Palestinians and the injury of 1,183, according to figures from the Ministry of Health.

Israeli health authorities said 208 Israelis have been wounded as a result of A-Qassam rockets, 11 of them were hit by shrapnel. Thirty-six fell while heading to shelters; six were involved in traffic accidents, while 151 cases of panic have been documented.