50 rockets fired at southern Israel, largest barrage in weeks

More than 50 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel Tuesday morning – marking the country’s largest rocket barrage in weeks.

The onslaught resulted in at least one impact in the city of Netivot, the Times of Israel reported.

The blast – which Hamas later claimed responsibility for – reduced the front of what appeared to be a storefront to rubble, a photo provided by the Fire and Rescue Services showed.

Another rocket appeared to have struck a warehouse in the nearby community of Givolim, the outlet added.

There were no reported injuries, but video footage from Netivot showed a rocket narrowly missing a group of people in an open area.

The barrage appeared to have been fired from central Gaza, the Times of Israel said.

Meanwhile, Palestinians reported that Israeli tanks were reentering parts of northern Gaza that they pulled out of last week, the outlet added.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had previously announced its transition to smaller operations in northern Gaza, after claiming to have defeated Hamnas’ hold on the area, the outlet explained.

Troops in northern Gaza located about 100 rocket launchers during clear-up procedures in Beit Lahiya, the military announced Tuesday.

The IDF also claimed to have killed dozens of Hamas fighters in the area – including nine Hamas gunmen reportedly slain by an attack helicopter and another aircraft manned by the 5th Reserve Infantry Brigade n the Shati camp, the IDF said.

In southern Gaza, the IDF claimed that the 7th Armored Brigade struck Hamas terrorists around Khan Younis, the Times of Israel said.

The group also used an attack helicopter to hit observation equipment used by the terror group, the outlet added.

The updates on Israel’s military exploits in Gaza also came as the IDF announced the death of Sgt. First Class Nitzan Schessler.

The 21-year-old reservist, from Hadera, was killed Monday in the southern Gaza Strip, the Times of Israel explained.

Another reservist in Schessler’s battalion was seriously injured in the same battle, and a soldier with the Combat Engineering Corps’ 603rd Battalion was also seriously wounded in a separate incident, the military said.

Sgt. Maj. Noam Ashram, 37, of the 179th Brigade’s 5352nd patrol company, from Kfar Saba, succumbed this week to injuries he sustained during a Dec. 29 battle in central Gaza, the IDF added.

The two deaths bring the number of troops killed during the ground offensive against Hamas to 190, the Times of Israel reported.