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Israel strikes Gaza Strip hours after US President Biden’s visit

Israel strikes Gaza Strip hours after US President Biden's visit

Israel carried out airstrikes on the Gaza Strip late Friday night, according to the country’s military.

The attack comes hours after US president Joe Biden left Israel after completing his four-day visit to the region, and after four rockets were fired against targets in southern Israel.

Israel’s airstrikes were reportedly launched against an underground storage facility that served as a “Hamas weapons manufacturing site,” according to Israeli officials.

“A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck a military site in the central Gaza Strip belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation,” a statement from the Israel Defense Forces said.

“The military site consists of an underground complex containing raw materials used for the manufacturing of rockets. The strike on this site will significantly impede and undermine Hamas’ force-building capabilities,” the military claimed. 

The Palestinian news agency Wafa said that the missiles were fired near a tourist resort in Sheikh Ijjileen, southwest of Gaza City, adding that “thick smoke was emanating from the area”.

The attack reportedly damaged several homes and a nearby gas station, but there were no casualties, according to Palestinian sources.

The strike carried out by Israeli fighter jets was also reportedly in response to rockets fired into parts of southern Israel Friday night.

On Friday night, two rockets were fired into Ashkelon, an Israeli city near the Gaza Strip. Four hours later, two additional rockets were fired into Ahuzam, also near Gaza.

Israel intercepted one of the rockets, and the others landed in open fields.

No Palestinian group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Israel blames Hamas.

The group has ruled the Gaza Strip for about 15 years — the same amount of time as Israel’s blockade on the territory has been in place.

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