Israel strikes at underground Hamas facility after rocket attack

Tel Aviv, Feb 13, (dpa/GNA) – The Israeli military responded to rocket fire from the Gaza strip, by launching air strikes aimed at an underground facility used by Hamas, the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) said in the early hours of Monday.

Fighter jets struck the underground complex, which contained raw materials used for manufacturing rockets, the IDF said.

“The IDF holds Hamas responsible for all terrorist activity, emanating from Gaza, and it will face the consequences of the security violations against Israel,” it added.

On Saturday, Palestinian militants fired a rocket at the Israeli border area. The Israeli army said the rocket was intercepted.

The security situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories has been extremely tense for weeks.

Nine Israelis and one Ukrainian, have been killed in Palestinian attacks so far this year.

Since the beginning of a terror wave almost a year ago, the Israeli army has been conducting almost daily raids in the West Bank. This has led to repeated confrontations.

This year alone, 45 Palestinians have been killed in clashes or in their own attacks. There are also repeated reports of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, Israeli activists or soldiers.

Israel conquered the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967. Today, more than 600,000 Israeli settlers live there. The Palestinians claim the territories for an independent state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital.

GNA