Israel-Gaza fighting ebbs, Gaza rockets reportedly a misfire
Cross-border fighting between Israel and Gaza’s ruling Hamas
group appeared to be winding down Friday, amid reports of an Egyptian-brokered
truce and Israeli media saying a misfire was believed to be responsible for the
rare Gaza rocket attack on Tel Aviv that triggered the exchange, AP reported.
The two rockets had struck late Thursday, taking Israel’s
military by surprise. Overnight, Israeli warplanes hit some 100 Hamas targets
in Gaza. The army said targets included an office complex in Gaza City used to
plan and command Hamas militant activities, an underground complex that served
as Hamas’ main rocket-manufacturing site and a center used for Hamas drone
development.
In Gaza, health officials reported that four people were
wounded, including a husband and wife in the southern town of Rafah. There were
no further details. The office building struck by Israel had been used by
Hamas’ office of prisoner affairs.
On Friday, Israeli media quoted defense officials as saying
a preliminary investigation indicated the rockets were fired by mistake. It was
not immediately clear if it was a technical malfunction or human error. The
Haaretz daily quoted the officials as saying the rockets were fired during
maintenance work. The Israeli military had no immediate comment.
Also Friday, a Hamas official said an agreement to restore
calm has been reached. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because
Hamas has yet to announce the deal, said Egypt led meditation efforts “that
have apparently paid off.”
The sudden outbreak of violence came at a sensitive time for
both sides.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in the midst of
a tight re-election battle. A tough response would draw international criticism
and domestic accusations that he is acting out of political motivations ahead
of the April 9 vote. But a restrained response will draw criticism from his
fellow hard-line rivals.
Hamas, meanwhile, is coping with its own domestic troubles.
Israel and Egypt have maintained a crippling blockade on Gaza since Hamas took
over the territory in 2007. The blockade, along with sanctions by the rival
Palestinian Authority and Hamas’ own mismanagement have fueled an economic
crisis that has driven unemployment over 50 percent.
Shortly before the rocket attack, Hamas police on Thursday
violently broke up a rare protest by demonstrators angry about the dire living
conditions in Gaza.
The crackdown triggered heavy criticism on social media. The
organizers of a weekly protest along the Israeli border canceled the
demonstration in the wake of the escalation.
The fighting came as Egyptian mediators were trying to
extend a cease-fire between the bitter enemies, which last fought a war in
2014. The Egyptians left Gaza late Thursday.
Hamas, which typically claims responsibility for its
military actions, denied involvement in the rocket attack on Tel Aviv and even
said it had undermined its interests. Israel’s military said earlier Friday
that it holds Hamas responsible for all attacks coming from Gaza.
The late-night attack Thursday on Tel Aviv, Israel’s densely
populated commercial and cultural capital, marked the first time the city had
been hit since a 2014 war between Israel and Gaza militants.
Following the first Israeli airstrikes, several additional
rounds of rocket fire were launched into Israel. The military said several
rockets were intercepted by its air defense systems, and there were no reports
of injuries.
The initial blasts from the Israeli airstrikes in southern
Gaza were so powerful that smoke could be seen in Gaza City, 25 kilometers (15
miles) to the north. The Israeli warplanes could be heard roaring through the
skies above Gaza City.
Israel and Hamas are bitter enemies and have fought three
wars since the Islamist militant group seized power in Gaza in 2007. Smaller
flare-ups have occurred sporadically since Israel and Hamas fought their last
war, in 2014.
Despite its denial, Hamas is one of the only groups in Gaza
with the means to strike Tel Aviv. A smaller militant group, the Iranian-backed
Islamic Jihad, also possesses a large arsenal of rockets, though it too denied
involvement.