Israel pounds tunnel network in Gaza as Hamas keeps up rocket fire

IDF says the strikes also targeted head of Hamas military wing, who escaped 7 assassination attempts in the past, but they were unsuccessful; meanwhile, ceasefire talks stalled over Hamas demands to condition end of fighting on Jerusalem situation 

Israel heavily bombarded the network of underground attack tunnels in Gaza and Palestinian militants kept up cross-border rocket fire on Wednesday, with no firm sign of any imminent ceasefire despite international calls to end more than a week of fighting.
Israeli leaders said they were pressing on with an offensive against Hamas and Islamic Jihad, but an Israeli military spokesman acknowledged that with an estimated 12,000 missiles and mortars in the groups' Gaza arsenal, "they still have enough rockets to fire".

Damage in Gaza from IDF strikes overnight Photo: AFP IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Hadai Zilberman on Wednesday morning said that 15 kilometers (7.45 miles) of the so-called "metro" of attack tunnels came under strikes by 52 planes, dropping 122 bombs over a 25-minute period in the southern part of the Strip.
The IDF said the tunnels were used to launch rockets at the south and enable the movement of terrorists and weapons from inside the Strip to the sea.
The spokesperson added that after all targets in the Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City were "exhausted" on Tuesday, the overnight strikes were concentrated in Khan Yunis and Raffa, from where rockets were fired at Be'er Sheva and other southern cities and communities. Direct hit on packing plant in south where two people were killed (Photo: Reuters) by Taboola
"We hit command centers, offices of the Internal Security Services and the headquarters of the Islamic Jihad," Zilberman said, adding that at least 10 members of both the Hamas and the Islamic Jihad were killed. Since the beginning of the fighting, more than 100 Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives were killed. Mohammed Deif, head of the Hamas military wing and the IDF's most wanted Hamas official, has survived two attacks directed against him, according to the military. Mohammed Deif survived recent strikes directed against him (Photo: Reuters

Deif was hiding deep underground and his bunker was attacked from different directions using a variety of weapons but Israeli forces were unable to kill him. Over the years, Deif apparently survived at least seven attempts on his life, which left him disabled.

Seven other members of Hamas were also targeted by the military, some were injured but all survived, the spokesperson said. In the meantime, rocket fire from Gaza late Tuesday targeted south-central Israel, including the cities of Rehovot and Ness Ziona. Hamas said it was aiming its fire at six air force bases from where Israeli jets take off to strike Gaza. Gaza rockets fired at Israeli air force bases on Tuesday (Photo: AFP) Hamas fire on southern communities resumed early Wednesday, shortly before 6am.

 

Humanitarian aid enters Gaza through Israel on Tuesday

(Photo: AP)

 

Gaza rockets target Israel's south-central cities on Tuesday

(Photo: Reuters)