In recent outbreaks of violence between Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, at least four people have been killed and eight others injured. The Israeli Air Force attacked army targets on Saturday 120 targets in the coastal strip on the Mediterranean Sea.
Previously, militant Palestinians had again started firing rockets at Israel. According to the Times of Israel, about 250 rockets and grenades were fired at Israeli cities in the border region by evening.
In the Gaza Strip, a dpa and her 14-month-old child, according to information from the local Ministry of Health, died in the Gaza Strip when the Israeli air force bombed a military post near their home. In addition, a 22-year-old civilian had been killed in an Israeli air strike in the north of the area. There, too, a young man was fatally hit by shrapnel. Six other people, three civilians and three fighters were injured.
Office of the Turkish news agency Anadolu destroyed
During one of the air raids, according to eyewitness reports, a six-story building in the west of Gaza City was destroyed. In the building, among other things, the office of the Turkish state news agency Anadolu was located. At first nothing was known about the victims of this attack.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly condemned the attack on the Anadolu office in Gaza. On Twitter, he wrote in English and Turkish: "Despite all attacks, Turkey and the Anadolu Agency will continue to report to the world about Israeli terrorism and the atrocities in Gaza and other parts of Palestine."
We strongly condemn Israel's attack against Anadolu Agency's office in Gaza.
Turkey and Anadolu Agency wants to continue to tell the world about Israeli terrorism and atrocities in Gaza and other parts of Palestine despite such attacks.
In Israel, several houses were struck by missiles in towns near the Gaza Strip. According to the Israeli media on Saturday, a woman in Kiryat Gat suffered dangerous facial injuries from splinters. A man had been injured in Ashkelon. Tens of thousands of people had to flee to shelters, in the affected regions howled the sirens again and again.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participated in a crisis meeting at the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, Israeli media reported. Israel's missile defense system has intercepted dozens of missiles, the Israeli military said.
Federal Foreign Office condemns Israel's massive rocket fire
The rocket attacks also continued in the evening, Israel flew further air raids. The army attacked a number of military posts of the Gaza-ruling radical Islamic Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. Two rocket launchers in northern Gaza were attacked and hit, they said. Israel closed the two border crossings for people and goods to the Gaza Strip and also forbid fishermen to run out.
The Foreign Ministry condemned the massive rocket fire of Israel. The country has the right to defend itself and protect its citizens, it said in a statement on Twitter. At the same time, the ministry called for reluctance on both sides. Efforts of Egypt and the United Nations to calm the situation would have the full support of Germany.
We are very concerned about the continuing military conflict and urge all sides to restrain and maintain proportionality. The important efforts of Egypt and the UN to calm the situation enjoy our full support https://t.co/RbTATLtx9y
- Federal Foreign Office (@ExtendedAmt) 4 May 2019Militant Palestinian organizations justified the rocket attacks with the deaths of Palestinians in recent protests. The "Islamic Jihad" made it clear that the attacks also aimed to disrupt the organization of the planned just under two weeks singing contest Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv. A Hamas spokesman said that the agreements for a ceasefire are "no obstacle" to responses to aggression: "The blood of our people is a red line."
Tensions between Israel and the Palestinian organizations in the Gaza Strip escalated again after a period of relative calm. Protests on the border with Israel and Israeli air strikes on Friday killed four Palestinians. About 50 Palestinians were injured. According to the IDF, two Israeli soldiers were injured at the border by gunfire.