The Iron Dome defense system has shot down more than 70 rockets since Israel’s ‘Operation Protective Edge’ began early on Tuesday morning, limiting injuries among Israelis.
At least 80 rockets were fired into Israel on Wednesday, hitting as far north as Zichron Yaakov, which is located some 120 km north of the Gaza Strip.
The IDF also confirmed that two rockets fell in open areas of the Hof Hacarmel Regional Council south of Haifa. The attack marked the furthest north that rockets from Gaza have fallen.
The rockets are the Syrian-made M-302 type rocket, which was used to target Hadera on Wednesday.
More than 320 rockets have been fired since the operation began.
Hamas took credit for the latest rocket fire on Tel Aviv, saying they had employed M-75 type rockets.
After a four hour lull in rocket fire overnight, Israel's southern communities again came under fire just after 6 a.m. Thursday. Areas such as the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional council, Netivot and the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council were all targeted. No injuries were reported in the attacks.
Three Islamic Jihad operatives were killed in an IAF strike in Gaza. The IDF Spokesperson said that the three men were involved in the firing of rockets at Israel.
In the northern Gaza Strip, the IDF killed a Palestinian operative who was active in firing rockets at Israel.
The Israel Air Force has struck 320 targets in Gaza over the past 24 hours, and 750 targets since the operation that began Monday night to extinguish Hamas rocket on Israel.
In overnight air strikes, 58 Hamas tunnels, 220 underground rocket launchers, and 46 command and control facilities - many located in the homes of senior Hamas commanders - have been destroyed, a senior military source said Thursday morning.
Some 80 command and control centers have been bombed in Gaza since the start of the operation and 513 underground rocket launchers have been destroyed.
Around 800 tons of explosives have been fired by Israeli air force jets on targets this week, the source said. The IAF's current rate of fire is double that of Operation Pillar of Defense, launched in 2012 to stop Hamas rocket fire from Gaza.
The increase in firepower comes as the IDF continues to amass ground forces on the border with Gaza for an eventual ground operation.
Israeli troops Wednesday night killed at least two Palestinian naval commandos attempting to enter Kibbutz Zikim alongside Gaza, in what appears to be a repeat of Tuesday’s near-identical attempted infiltration.‏
“A short time ago, two armed frogmen were spotted on the shoreline north of the Gaza Strip, headed for Israeli territory,” the Israel Defense Forces spokesman said in a tweet.
IDF spotters identified the assault, and troops, including helicopter forces engaged the squad as they tried to reach the shore.‏
Three rockets were launched at Dimona in southern Israel on Wednesday afternoon. The Iron Dome intercepted one rocket before it could land, while two other rockets landed in open areas. Dimona is the location of Israel's nuclear reactor. There was no indication that rockets damaged any part of the reactor.
‘’Israel targets terrorists to protect its civilians. Hamas targets civilians while using its own people for cover,’’ an Israeli source stressed.
Since the beginning of ‘Operation Protective Edge" Hamas has been actively encouraging Palestinians in Gaza to become human shields by praising it as an act of bravery and proof of steadfastness, an esteemed Palestinian value.
‘’Hamas cynically exploits the Palestinian civilian population as human shields to protect its terrorist activity against Israel.Rocket launching pads and weapon caches are hidden in private homes and public buildings such as schools and mosque,’’ one source told EIPA.
A cartoon produced by Hamas calls on Palestinian civilians to form human shields against Israeli attacks. The cartoon depicts how a large group of civilians standing on the roofs of houses creates a metaphorical shield against incoming bombs, and praises the "steadfast people." Cartoons are an important medium for influencing public opinion in Palestinian society.
According to the BBC, graphic images are being shared on social media to show how Palestinians have been affected by the renewed tensions between Israel and the Palestinians.
Over the past week the hashtag #GazaUnderAttack has been used hundreds of thousands of times, often to distribute pictures claiming to show the effects Israeli airstrikes.
BBC has found that some of the images are of the current situation in Gaza but an analysis also showed that some date as far back as 2009 and others are from conflicts in Syria and Iraq.