By Stanley Ugagbe
The lingering tensions between Israel and Hamas have been rising steadily. The fracas hit a new rock recently even after the Qatar envoy met with Hamas and Israeli officials to try restoring calm.
In a drastic move, Israek struck Hamas targets in Gaza after six rockets were launched from the enclave during the night, according to an Israelian statement.
Local reports have it that the rocket fire came after the army struck an underground facility and military post belonging to Hamas earlier in the night in response to the launching of incendiary balloons from the Strip.
According to a statement issued by the military, a weapons manufacturing facility was targeted with the strike. The statement added: “IDF fighter jets, aircraft and a tank attacked an underground infrastructure and a military post” belonging to Hamas.”
Multiple reports have it that the tensions between Israel and Hamas have been skyrocketing and if concerted efforts are not put in place to checkmate it, the results will be catastrophic. The Israeli government hardened the blockade on the Gaza Strip, with a population of 2 million, half of whom live below the poverty line.
The Nigerian Canadian News gathered that Kerem Shalom, the only gateway for goods, was closed and fuel shipment to Palestine stopped. This resulted in the shutdown of the only power station in Gaza.
Palestinians in the Strip have in recent weeks sent waves of arson balloons across the border, sparking scores of wildfires in southern Israel, launched rockets across the border, and held violent protests along the security fence.
Israel, in retaliation, has carried out near-nightly airstrikes against Hamas targets, limited imports to the Strip, and restricted its fishing zone.
Hamas has reportedly said that efforts to reach a ceasefire with Israel had failed, warning Israel of “messages” to be sent within hours.
A source in the group was quoted by Lebanese Hezbollah-affiliated TV al-Mayadeen as saying Qatari envoy Mohammed al-Emadi had left the territory after two days in which he brought cash to the Strip and tried to broker a ceasefire amid weeks of mutual attacks.
The source said the failure to reach a deal was due to Israel’s insistence on the equation of “calm in return for calm,” rather than “calm in return for an end to the blockade” of the Strip.
Gaza terror groups won’t let Israel “use the pretext of the balloons to bomb posts in the Strip,” the source was quoted as saying.
He added that “the coming hours will see messages to the Israeli occupation from the youth groups in the field.”
He said “the occupation should read these messages before things roll and slide into something broader than that.”
