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File photo shows an Israeli F-16 fighter jet. |
In Tel Aviv, a rocket hit a commercial district while a second rocket landed 200 meters away from the American Embassy. It is the first time that Tel Aviv has come under attack in decades. Three Israeli soldiers have been injured in a rocket attack in Eshkol.Hospitals across Israel are now in state of emergency. Palestinians have fired over 550 rockets and missiles into Israel since Wednesday after Tel Aviv launched a major military strike against the besieged Palestinian territory, killing scores of people, including women and children. The Israeli Army says it has hit more than 600 targets in Gaza during the past three days. According to Israeli sources, the Iron Dome missile shield has only intercepted one-fifth of the rockets fired from the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, residents of the besieged Gaza Strip say they are getting text messages warning of military escalation as reports suggest that Israeli military forces are preparing for a ground invasion of Gaza. - Press TV.
Israel media: Army to mobilize up to 75,000 reserve troops.
Defence Minister Ehud Barak sought government approval on Friday to mobilize up to 75,000 reserve troops for Israel's Gaza campaign, political sources said, in a sign of preparations for a possible ground offensive. The sources, speaking after Palestinian rockets were fired at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, said ministers were being polled by telephone by the cabinet secretary to approve the call-up. - Jewish Journal.
UPDATE: Israeli Military Confirms Rocket Strike Outside Jerusalem!
The Israeli military confirmed Friday that a militant-fired rocket from Gaza struck outside Jerusalem, the first time the holy city has been targeted since 1970. “Confirmed: A rocket fired from Gaza struck outside Jerusalem, Israel’s capital city,” an Israeli military spokesperson tweeted. According to Haaretz, Hamas claimed they were targeting the Knesset, Israel’s government building. At 50 miles away from the Gaza border, Jerusalem was thought to be beyond the range of Gaza rocket attacks, according to the Associated Press. “We are sending a short and simple message: There is no security for any Zionist on any single inch of Palestine and we plan more surprises,” Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida told the AP. Air raid sirens sounded throughout the capital and residents said they heard an explosion. The rocket reportedly landed in an open area just south of the city. No casualties were reported. - The Blaze.
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