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Israeli fighter jets carried out airstrikes on Gaza against Hamas targets Monday morning in response to a rocket fired at Israeli territory, despite the fact an Islamic State-affiliated group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Israel holds Hamas responsible for the attack, retaliating with four airstrikes conducted by F-16 jets; witnesses say drones were also seen circling the airspace.
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According to local reports, the aerial bombing hit a training site in central Gaza of the military wing of the Hamas organization known as the al-Qassam Brigades. However, no reports of casualties were revealed.
The news comes amid escalating violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank after Israeli troops entered the al-Aqsa mosque, a muslim Holy site in East Jerusalem.
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The Israeli military claimed that two rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel Sunday evening, with one of the rockets exploding on the Gazan side of the border. The second rocket, Israeli officials said, exploded in an open area of the Eshkol Regional Council, leaving no injuries or damages.
The Israeli army’s spokesperson, Peter Lerner, confirmed that an air force aircraft had hit a Hamas target in response to Sunday evening's rocket attack.
A Salafist organization in the Gaza strip – the Omar Brigade, which is affiliated with the Islamic State group – claimed responsibility for the rocket fired into Israel. Nonetheless, Israel said it would hold Hamas responsible for any attacks originating in territory under their control.
Last year, Israel carried out a deadly and disproportionate attack on Gaza, killing over 2,500 people, mostly civilians, and destroying tens of thousands of buildings.
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