After 130 Rockets Fired From Gaza, Israelis Awoke To Tentative Calm
Thousands of Israelis in communities within rocket range of the Gaza Strip spent Tuesday night (29th) in or near bomb shelters as terrorists fired more than 40 more rockets and mortar shells at Israel.
According to Palestinian media reports Wednesday morning (30th), a ceasefire was put in place around 5 a.m., although this was not confirmed by the Israelis. As dawn broke sirens stopped blaring. As a result of the cautious calm, Israeli schools opened and operated normally.
Over 130 rockets and mortars were fired towards Israel throughout Tuesday (29th) and into early Wednesday morning (30th).
Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus, a spokesman for the IDF, said the most extensive strikes from Gaza since the 2014 war had drawn “the largest IDF retaliatory attack” since that conflict.
(jpost.com; reuters.com)
After Night Of Rockets, 75% Of Israeli Children Show Up At School
Seventy-five percent of children in Israeli communities near the border with the Gaza Strip showed up at school by 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday (30th), despite a sleepless night of sirens due to rocket and mortar barrages fired by Palestinian terrorists.
“It was not an easy night for the residents here,” Education Minister Naftali Bennett said at a news conference outside a primary school. “I also spent the night at a family home in one of the communities, and I experienced this for myself – it’s not easy.”
Bennett praised the resilience of the Israeli families on the border.
(jpost.com)
‘We Had A Great Miracle.’ Said One Woman Whose Home Was Hit By Rocket
Naomi Fletcher, whose home suffered a direct rocket hit early Wednesday (30th) said it was a “great miracle” no one was hurt.
“We heard explosions during the night, but we didn’t hear the rocket hit,” Fletcher said. “In the morning, I got up and went outside, and then I saw debris on the floor of our storage shed – then I saw the rocket.”
Naomi said the house’s doorpost and the entrance to the storage shed were damaged. You could see the hole it created in the roof and the floor tiles were ripped from their place….you could see debris everywhere.”
The Fletcher’s bedroom was only three feet away from the storage shed, where the rocket hit.
Naomi said, “I think we had a great miracle – it could have hit our house, but instead it hit the shed.”
(ynetnews.com)
Israel: Our Massive Response Stopped Palestinian Fire
Israel denied Hamas’ claim that a ceasefire brokered by Egypt was in place Wednesday morning (30th), instead it maintained that the IDF’s powerful airstrikes deterred terror organizations in Gaza from persisting.
Responding to massive rocket attacks at Israel on Tuesday (29th) and Wednesday (30th), the IDF struck 35 military targets belonging to Hamas – the most extensive airstrikes in Gaza in four years.
The targets included storage structures for drones used for terror purposes, rocket manufacturing workshops, advanced naval weaponry, military compounds, training bases, and a munitions manufacturing site.
(worldisraelnews.com)
Netanyahu To Hamas: “Don’t Test Us! Next Time We’ll Strike Back Even Harder”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas of a harsher military response should it continue to launch rockets and mortars at Israel’s southern border.
“One thing is clear. When they test us, they pay an immediate price,” Netanyahu said on Wednesday afternoon (30th). “If they continue to try us, they will pay an even harsher price,” he added.
“Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and other terrorist organizations are responsible for this escalation,” Netanyahu said.
(timesofisrael.com)
Bennett: The Brain Is Iran And The Hands Are Hamas
Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett said Wednesday morning (30th) in a southern Israel community, “My perception of the battle with Gaza is to stand firm against Hamas and give strong backing to Gaza area residents. That is exactly what we are doing.”
He said, “The brain of this escalation was Iran and the hands belonged to Hamas. That octopus (Iran) is maneuvering its tentacles in Lebanon…the head of the octopus includes Iran, Syria, and Gaza to harm the State of Israel.
(israelnn.com)
Israel Restores Electricity To Gaza
On Wednesday evening (30th), IEC employees repaired the damage caused to the country’s equipment in the Gaza vicinity as a result of a rocket fired by terrorists.
Tuesday (29th), damage from rocket strikes caused severe power disruptions in the southern Gaza Strip.
At the order of Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, the equipment was repaired Wednesday evening only after there was an end to rocket fire, in order to not endanger the workers of the Israel Electric Corporation.
(israelnn.com)
Report: Hizbullah Commander Killed In Israeli Strike In Syria
Israeli jets struck Hizbullah positions near the town of Al-Qusayr in Syria’s Homs district near the border with Lebanon Monday night (28th), Sky News Arabia reported on Tuesday (29th).
There was no Israeli comment on the report.
According to the news, several Hizbullah combatants were killed in the alleged strike, including the unit’s commander.
(israelhayom.com; skynewsarabia.com)
Hizbullah Chief Net Worth Is $250 Million, Mainly Thanks To Drugs – Daniel Siryoti
Hizbullah Chief Hassan Nasrallah has amassed a net personal worth of around $250 million due to his organization’s illegal drug smuggling operations, Al-Ittihad, an Arabic language newspaper published in the United Arab Emirates, reported Monday (28th). According to the report, which relies on senior Lebanese government sources, the scope of Nasrallah’s fortune was discovered within the framework of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigation against Hizbullah – which aside from its designation as a terrorist organization also operates as one of the largest drug cartels in the world.
(israelhayom.com)
Clay Seal Of Prophet Isaiah To Be Unveiled At Joint Israel-US Event – Tamara Zieve
Clay seals believed to have been used by the biblical prophet Isaiah and King Hezekiah are set to be unveiled at a June event, which will be held simultaneously in Jerusalem and Oklahoma via a live stream. While the seals and nearly three dozen other pieces loaned by the Antiquities Authority will be on display in Oklahoma – archeologist who made the discoveries, Dr. Eilat Mazar, will deliver the keynote address in Jerusalem. View the video trailer “Seals of Isaiah and King Hezekiah Discovered.”
(jpost.com)
