The Israeli military struck Hamas militant sites in the Gaza Strip early Wednesday in response to rocket fire toward Israel the previous night that coincided with the signing of normalization agreements between Israel and two Arab countries at the White House.
Upon his departure back from Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was not surprised by the rocket attack or the timing of the militants.
“They want to take peace backwards but they won't succeed,” he said.
“We will strike hard against all those who seek to harm us and reach out a hand in peace to all those whose hand is reached out to peace with us.”
The barrage against Israel began Tuesday night just as the ceremony in Washington was getting underway to formalize the new agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Two Israelis were lightly wounded.
The rocket fire continued overnight, with sirens sounding across southern Israel. The military said five projectiles landed in open areas with the rest intercepted by Israel's rocket defense system. In response, the military said it struck about 10 sites belonging to Gaza's militant Hamas rulers, including a weapons and explosives manufacturing factory, underground infrastructure and a military training compound.
