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Tel Aviv (dpa) - In a massive attack on a wide tunnel system by Hamas, which ruled the Gaza Strip, Israel's air force reportedly used around 500 tons of ammunition.
A senior officer in the Israeli Air Force said 160 F-16 and F-35 aircraft were involved in the attack on the so-called Metro system on Friday night.
It is still unclear whether and how many Hamas fighters were killed in the process.
"There are potentially hundreds," he said.
Foreign media had accused the Israeli army of deliberately manipulating them with a tweet shortly before the attack.
"Air and ground troops are currently attacking in the Gaza Strip," it said on Friday night when a ground offensive by Israel was expected.
According to media reports, this had induced numerous Hamas fighters to dive into the underground metro system.
After they were so trapped, Israel's air force bombed the tunnel network for around 40 minutes.
The army denied targeted manipulation of the foreign media and spoke of a communication error.
There are no Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip.
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According to the air force officer, Hamas has fired more than 2,300 rockets at Israel since Monday.
The attacks from the Gaza Strip on Israel are more intense than ever before.
About 20 percent of the missiles fired still hit the Palestinian Territory itself.
Children were also killed in the process.
The iron dome missile defense makes it in around 90 percent of all attempts to intercept the missiles that threaten populated areas in Israel.
In the most violent volley to date, 140 rockets were fired simultaneously from the Gaza Strip.
Israel has attacked more than 650 targets in the Gaza Strip since Monday, the representative said.
A total of 31 rocket workshops were destroyed by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
As a result, Hamas is currently no longer able to manufacture new missiles.
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The aim of the operation is to restore deterrence against Hamas, said the officer.
“It is very difficult to attack targets in the middle of an inhabited area.
But it is the only way to deter Hamas. "
Not a single rocket should be fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel.
During the attacks, the air force tried hard to avoid civilian casualties as much as possible.
There is no end in sight for the time being.
"We are in the middle of a very intensive operation."
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210515-99-608897 / 4