IDF Says Israeli Air Force Strikes Hamas Base in Response to Missile Launch

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) – The Israeli Air Force conducted a strike against a base and two ships of the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip in response to a Saturday missile attack, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said Sunday in a statement.

"Saturday night…: A rocket is fired from Gaza at Israel. Air raid sirens blare. Israelis have seconds to find shelter. Now: We responded by striking several military targets in a Hamas compound in Gaza & 2 Hamas vessels," the statement posted on Twitter reads.

Saturday night 8:45PM: A rocket is fired from Gaza at Israel.🚨 Air raid sirens blare. Israelis have seconds to find shelter.

Now: We responded by striking several military targets in a Hamas compound in Gaza & 2 Hamas vessels.

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 10, 2019

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Earlier in the day, the IDF said in the statement posted on Twitter that they detected the launch of a rocket from the Gaza Strip.

The new wave of escalation near the Gaza border began last March, when Palestinian protests, dubbed the Great March of Return, began. The tensions further mounted in fall due to continued shelling and arson balloons launches from Gaza into the Israeli territory and Israeli strikes on Palestinian targets in response to these actions.