Rockets Barrage Hits Netivot After IDF Leaves Northern Gaza

More than 50 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip at the southern city of Netivot. According to reports, the rockets were fired from an area in Gaza that the IDF had left on Monday.

By Anash.org reporter
Photos: Shneur Mor Yosef/Anash.org

More than 50 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip at the southern city of Netivot. The attack on Netivot appears to be the largest rocket barrage from Gaza in several weeks.

About 20 of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome but some rockets landed in Netivot, scoring a direct hit on a store. Another rocket hit an electronics store right near the Chabad House in the city destroying it completely. The Chabad House was not damaged in the attack.

According to reports, the rockets were fired from an area in Gaza that the IDF had left on Monday. This fact led to much criticism from government ministers and the public.

On Monday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that the “intensive phase” of Israel’s ground offensive in northern Gaza has ended, and it will soon be over in the Khan Younis area of the Strip’s south as well.

Troops have been carrying out operations at a lower intensity in northern Gaza, after the military said it had defeated all of Hamas’s battalions in the area. The soldiers have been working to locate the remaining Hamas sites and kill or capture the terror group’s last operatives.

Fallowing the rocket barrage Minister Gideon Saar strongly criticized Gallants statement saying “Decreasing the intensity of IDF activity in the Strip and reducing the size of the forces there in the current situation – are wrong. The cabinet must decide on increasing military pressure on Hamas immediately.”

The Sderot municipality said, “During the current barrage on Jan. 16, over 50 launches were identified towards the Netivot area, it seems one landed within the city. There are no reports of people injured.”

“Security teams are continuing their searches. We will update if necessary.”