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LAST UPDATE | 5 May 2019
ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu said he has ordered the military to launch further strikes on Gaza militants in response to rocket fire from the territory, as an escalation entered its second day.
“I instructed [the military] this morning to continue its massive strikes on terror elements in the Gaza Strip and ordered [it] to reinforce the troops around the Gaza Strip with tanks, artillery and infantry forces,” he said.
Militants in Gaza fired a new barrage of rockets at Israel today in a deadly escalation that has already seen a number of people killed and others injured.
Gazan authorities reported six Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes – including a one-year-old baby – in the latest round of conflict between the regions.
Meanwhile, Israeli authorities have reported a 58-year-old Israeli man was killed overnight by a rocket strike, and another 80-year-old woman was seriously injured in a rocket strike on the Israeli city of Kiryat Gat.
It claims 450 rockets and mortars had been fired by Hamas and Islamic Jihad since Saturday and its air defences intercepted more than 150 of them.
Tánaiste Simon Coveney said he condems the attacks which led to civilian deaths and injuries.
“I unequivocally condemn the indiscriminate rocket fire from Gaza over the last two days, which has led to civilian deaths and injuries,” the Tánaiste said.
“These actions undermine the cause of the Palestinian people. The unjust treatment of Gaza and the suffering of people there will never be solved by violence or terrorist attacks.
“I call for an end to indiscriminate attacks on civilians and for restraint in terms of the Israeli response, which has already led to several deaths in Gaza.
“The international community needs to work with all sides to de-escalate tension, as a matter of urgency,” he added.
The Israeli army said its tanks and planes hit some 220 militant targets in Gaza in response.
They included an Islamic Jihad attack tunnel that stretched from southern Gaza into Israeli territory, it said.
Two multi-storey buildings in Gaza City were also destroyed.
Israel said one of the buildings included Hamas military intelligence and security offices where Turkey said its state news agency Anadolu was located, and strongly denounced the strike.
Israel said the other building housed Hamas and Islamic Jihad offices.
Shots fired
The conflict – which had been quelled by a fragile truce by both sides – was sparked when four Palestinians, including two Hamas militants, were killed after two Israeli soldiers were wounded in a shooting during weekly protests on the border.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas brokered by Egypt and the United Nations had led to relative calm around Israel’s April 9 general election.
But on Tuesday, Israel reduced the offshore fishing limit it imposes for vessels operating out of Gaza after a rocket was fired from the territory.
Israel’s army blamed Islamic Jihad for the rocket, which fell into the Mediterranean.
On Thursday, Israel said its aircraft struck a Hamas military compound after balloons carrying firebombs and explosives were launched across the border.
Palestinians in Gaza have frequently fitted balloons with firebombs in a bid to damage Israeli property and have in the past succeeded in setting fire to large areas of farmland.
Following that air strike, Israel said two rockets were launched from Gaza.
With the ceasefire at risk, a Hamas delegation led by its Gaza head Yahya Sinwar left the enclave for Cairo on Thursday for talks with Egyptian officials.
The ceasefire has seen Israel allow Qatar to provide millions of dollars in aid to Gaza to pay salaries and to finance fuel purchases to ease a severe electricity shortage.
With reporting from - © – AFP 2019
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RTE have too much power here we are in the middle of a pandemic and they have an army of tv licence inspectors touring the country spreading the virus
@Richard Russell: huh…..
@Richard Russell: lol
@Richard Russell: worst whataboutery ever
@Richard Russell: in fairness tv licence guy works for an post not rte
About time
@Caoimhín O’Cheallacháin: yes, this now paves the way for Chinese companies to take over and be the most powerful and richest companies on the New York Stock Exchange in the next 10-15 years. I’ve a funny feeling China won’t mind them being too big when this happens.
@The Upside-down Triangle: takeovers can be blocked under all sorts of laws
@DJ François: no I mean Chinese companies will surpass American ones as the most powerful. There’s already more Chinese companies listed on the S&P 500 than American ones for the first time in history.
Google is one of the most dangerous companies in the world, with stated aims of directly influencing people to make decisions that they want them to make. They have been found to also be meddling with democracy and interfering with elections. There has and is ongoing cases against them for same. They are also invested in many other activities like oil and gas exploration while pretending to be green.
@Da_Dell: if you haven’t seen or heard of it, look up The Social Dilemma on Netflix.
@Celtic Spirit: Is that the one about Facebook, Ive seen one by PBS ? Truly shocking stuff.
Search, not with google of course for the Google head of UX leaked video, or any of the Google whistleblowers that have been brave enough to leave.
RTE have too much power, we are in the middle of a pandemic and they have an army of tv licence inspectors touring the country spreading the virus
@Richard Russell: you ok hun?
@Richard Russell: An army of them, on tour? Clearly a well planned coup! Tell us more.
@Richard Russell: you can say that again…..
@Rachel O’ Meara: did you not hear it’s part of the new police state. It’s the end of the world. Gemma o d and her cronies warned us. We should of listened. LOL!!
@K C: Clearly we were all wrong, wonder if it’s to do with 5G? That’ll be it you know, tv inspectors in disguise working on behalf of R.T.E going around installing 5G brain chips in us while we’re asleep so R.T.E can control us for the government and big pharma. It’s such a dastardly plan, can’t believe we were lulled into such a false sense of security. Well we all know now so take heed people, sleep with your eyes open from now on that way you’ll see them coming for you. Gemms and her cronies are having panic attacks reading our comments I’d say! Relax lads it’s as made up as the stuff Gemms herself comes out with.
@Rachel O’ Meara: yep it’s 5G and the illuminati. We should make Gemma our dictator and there would be no problems in the country haha
@Richard Russell: bit early to be on the sauce Ricky
That worked so well when they did it with the phone company in America. A couple decades later they all merged back in to a handful of companies who now operate as a single oligarchy.
@Wade Wilson: True, but they have to try, start somewhere.
Break em up!
Oh the hypocrisy…
Microsoft?
have your say