Two Israeli women were killed in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon on Tuesday by a rocket that landed on a home, amid a barrage of missiles launched from the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.
One woman was in her 60s and the other was in her 80s. Several more people were wounded from the rocket, with at least one in critical condition.
The Hamas terror group boasted that it had fired 137 rockets at Israel in the space of 5 minutes, bringing the total up to more than 400 from the previous night, wounding more than 70 Israelis. The terror group further warned that it had “many more surprises” in store.
The Israeli military continued to strike Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist sites throughout the Gaza Strip. Shortly after the attack which killed the two women, the Israel Defense Forces issued a statement saying it had killed two top Islamic Jihad commander who oversaw the terror group’s rocket arsenal.
“The IDF will continue to act resolutely to restore security to the residents of the south, and all commanders must prepare for the expansion of the campaign, with no time limit,” the IDF said in a statement.
The IDF targeted more than 130 terror sites throughout Gaza overnight Monday, an an operation dubbed “Guardians of the Wall.”
IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Hidai Zilberman warned that the military is “prepared for a variety of scenarios” and vowed to continue responding with force.
“We will continue to act vigorously against Hamas and other terror organizations,” Zilberman said, noting that Hamas is to blame for “what is happening and will bear the consequences.”
The IDF also deployed additional Iron Dome missile defense batteries to the south.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin told European ambassadors to Israel on Tuesday that “no country in the world would accept a similar situation. We will never accept such a reality.”
“We will defend our citizens with all necessary means,” he added.