The airstrike reportedly came hours after Hamas fired a barrage of rockets from the Gaza Strip that sent air raid sirens ringing in Tel Aviv for the first time in months.
No casualties were reported in the first long-range rocket attack from the Gaza Strip since January. Hamas’ military wing claimed responsibility.
The Israeli military said eight projectiles passed through Israel after being launched from Rafah and that a number were intercepted and their launchers destroyed.
Earlier Sunday, the Israeli military said 126 humanitarian trucks had entered through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
However, it is unclear whether aid groups will be able to access such assistance – including medical supplies – given the fighting. The crossing is largely inaccessible due to the Israeli offensive on Rafah. UN agencies say it is generally too dangerous to resume aid. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned again last week that an extension of the Israeli attack on Rafah would have a catastrophic impact.
“As the humanitarian operation teeters on the brink of failure, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed that the Israeli government must facilitate the safe collection and delivery of humanitarian supplies from Egypt entering Kerem Shalom,” Guterres’ spokesperson said.
Egypt refuses to reopen the Rafah side of the crossing until control of the Gaza side of the Strip is returned to Palestine. They agreed to temporarily divert traffic through Kerem Shalom, the Gaza Strip’s main cargo terminal, following a phone conversation between US President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Israel took control of the Rafah border crossing on the Gaza Strip side earlier this month.
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