Three Palestinians have been killed in Gaza as Israel launched dozens of air strikes in response to a barrage of rocket fire by militants. Gaza health officials reported that a pregnant woman and her 18-month-old daughter died in the Jaafari area, while a Hamas militant was killed in the north.
The violence erupted after militants fired approximately 180 rockets and mortars at southern Israel, setting off sirens and sending residents to shelters. Israel's Iron Dome intercepted over 30 projectiles, but some hit houses, cars, factories, and a playground, injuring at least seven civilians, including a Thai woman seriously hurt by a rocket in the Eshkol Region Council.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck more than 150 military targets in Gaza, including Hamas compounds, training camps, weapons storage, a naval complex, and two tunnels. The IDF described the strikes as a "significant blow to Hamas" and warned the group would "bear the consequences for its terrorist activities."
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri blamed Israel for the escalation, calling on the international community to act. A Palestinian official initially said the fighting was over, but calm lasted only hours before a long-range Grad rocket landed near Beersheba, and an Israeli air strike destroyed a multi-storey building in Gaza City, injuring 18 people.
UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov expressed deep alarm, warning that if the escalation is not contained, "the situation can rapidly deteriorate with devastating consequences for all people." The flare-up marks the third serious incident in the past month, amid ongoing protests along the Gaza border since March.
