In a move likely to further escalate tensions in the volatile Middle East, Israel has bolstered its troops at the border with the Gaza Strip following a rocket barrage launched from the region by the radical militant group Hamas.
The rocket attacks on the city of Ashkelon on Thursday marked a dramatic increase in hostilities, as they were the first missiles fired at the city in more than two years. The violence marks yet another chapter in the tumultuous history of conflict between Israel and Gaza.
The rocket fire drew immediate condemnation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who declared that his government “will not tolerate any attack on our citizens or on our sovereignty.” Additional troops were quickly dispatched to the area in an attempt to counter the threat posed by Hamas.
The tensions have been escalating for months, with intermittent rocket fire emanating from Gaza, and Israel responding with airstrikes. On Tuesday, Hamas’ leader, Ismail Haniyeh, urged Palestinian factions in the strip to defy Israel’s new military buildup.
The escalation has also increased the risk of a full-fledged conflict as Hamas issued an ultimatum calling on Israel to remove its forces from the enclave or face “more severe consequences”. Israel, meanwhile, has warned that it holds Hamas responsible for the rocket attacks.
The precarious situation has exacerbated the humanitarian disaster already gripping Gaza, where residents are experiencing shortages of food and fuel, and an economic crisis sparked by the coronavirus pandemic.
The simmering tensions between Israel and Gaza are likely to remain a major source of contention in the Middle East, with the potential for further violence adding to the mass of unresolved issues in the region. Increasing pressure from all sides may eventually force a resolution to the conflict, but until then, intrepid Israeli troops will remain at the border in an effort to defend their nation.