The deadly exchange of rockets fired by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli military has continued to escalate. The United Nations on Wednesday warned of the possibility of “all out war” due to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
More than 1,000 rockets have been fired by Palestinian militants, according to Israel.
Israel itself has conducted hundreds of air strikes on Gaza, including destroying three tower blocks and killing senior Hamas officials.
Over 70 people have died due to the violence, including children.
Israel Defence Forces spokesperson Jonathan Conricus claimed that there is no other option than to continue its military operations.
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Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that Hamas should “pay a very heavy price for their belligerence”.
The violence erupted on Monday night after weeks of escalating Israeli-Palestinian tensions in East Jerusalem.
In a tweet, the Palestinian Authority condemned Israel’s “military aggression” and said it is “traumatizing an already beleaguered population of two million people who have been imprisoned by Israel’s illegal blockade for 14 years, suffering its inhumane impact on all aspects of life”.
After a phone call with Prime Minister Netanyahu, US President Joe Biden backed Israel and said he hopes the exchanges of deadly fire will end soon.
He told reporters: “My expectation and hope is this will be closing down sooner than later, but Israel has a right to defend itself.”