IDF Strikes Gaza Terrorists With 'No Mercy' as 250+ Rockets Rain Down on Israelis

Emily Jones
11-13-2019

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JERUSALEM, Israel - The Gaza-based Islamic Jihad terror group resumed its assault on Israeli civilians on Wednesday and continued launching rockets at the Jewish State after a night of tense quiet. 

The IDF says Islamic Jihad has fired more than 250 rockets at Israel since Tuesday morning in retaliation for the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) assassination of Senior Islamic Jihad terrorist Baha Abu Al-Ata in a precision airstrike.

Israel's airforce is responding by striking Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza Strip. 

"We are continuing to hit Islamic Jihad after eliminating its senior commander in the Strip," Netanyahu said during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. "He was responsible for most of the terror attacks emanating from the Gaza Strip in the last year and he was planning to carry out more attacks in the very next days."

"It would be better for Islamic Jihad to understand that now, I believe the message is starting to get through," Netanyahu added. "They understand we will continue hitting them with no mercy. We are determined to fight and protect ourselves. If they thought the barrages or hits would weaken us they are wrong. They have one option."

The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza reports at least 18 Palestinians have been killed in the IDF's airstrikes. The Times of Israel reports at least 10 of those killed were members of terror groups. 

Islamic Jihad considered Al-Ata's assassination an act of war and the organization's military wing said its response "will have no limits."

On Wednesday, the terror group launched rockets at Israeli communities in southern Israel, including  Ashkelon, Sderot, the Shfela region,  Sha'ar Hanegev, and Eshkol. Rocket were also fired at the Latrun area of central Israel. Latrun is located near the city of Modiin on the main highway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. 

The IDF says the Iron Dome missile defense system has been 90 percent successful at intercepting the rockets before they land. A few homes suffered direct strikes and a factory in Sderot was struck. There was also a near miss on a major highway, where a rocket was meters away from hitting a car. There are no causalities. 

Israel's Magen David Adom (MDA) ambulance service says it has treated 48 Israelis since rocket fire from Gaza began on Tuesday. 

Twenty-three of the victims were treated for anxiety, while 23 people suffered injuries sustained from falling while running to bomb shelters. MDA reports that two victims were lightly wounded by rocket shrapnel. 

An 8-year-old girl suffered a heart attack in a bomb shelter Tuesday and remains in serious condition. A MDA spokesperson says doctors are unsure if the heart attack was related to the rockets or warning sirens. 

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About The Author

Emily
Jones

Emily Jones is a multi-media journalist for CBN News in Jerusalem. Before she moved to the Middle East in 2019, she spent years regularly traveling to the region to study the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, meet with government officials, and raise awareness about Christian persecution. During her college years, Emily served as president of Regent University's Christians United for Israel chapter and spoke alongside world leaders at numerous conferences and events. She is an active member of the Philos Project, an organization that seeks to promote positive Christian engagement with the Middle
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