Israeli tanks shell northern Gaza
Israeli tanks shell northern Gaza
Israeli troops and militants in Gaza exchange fire for the first time this year.
1 min read
Gaza has been largely quiet since the devastating war in 2014 [AFP]
Israeli tanks shelled the northern Gaza Strip late on Thursday night. The three shells hit an open area east of Beit Hanoun.
Locals told Palestinian news outlets that the site belonged to the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.
No injuries were reported, said Gaza Ministry of Health spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra.
The Israeli military said the attack was in response to a rocket being fired from Gaza on Thursday afternoon, as Israel commemorated its "Independence Day".
No group in Gaza claimed responsibility for the rocket.
Israel has now closed Erez crossing, due to the "dangerous conditions in Gaza", preventing 200 elderly Gazans from visiting Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.
It was the first instance of such rocket fire since the 2014 Gaza war, in which more than 2,200 Palestinians were killed and 100,000 homes destroyed in Gaza. On the Israeli side, 73 people, mostly soldiers, were also killed.
Locals told Palestinian news outlets that the site belonged to the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.
No injuries were reported, said Gaza Ministry of Health spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra.
The Israeli military said the attack was in response to a rocket being fired from Gaza on Thursday afternoon, as Israel commemorated its "Independence Day".
No group in Gaza claimed responsibility for the rocket.
Israel has now closed Erez crossing, due to the "dangerous conditions in Gaza", preventing 200 elderly Gazans from visiting Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.
It was the first instance of such rocket fire since the 2014 Gaza war, in which more than 2,200 Palestinians were killed and 100,000 homes destroyed in Gaza. On the Israeli side, 73 people, mostly soldiers, were also killed.
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