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GAZA CITY: A barrage of rockets from Gaza hit Israel overnight, the army said on Saturday, with Israel retaliating with dozens of strikes in a flareup that could jeopardise truce efforts.
Another rocket was fired from the Palestinian territory on Saturday morning, setting off sirens in nearby Israeli communities, before being shot down by Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system.
The rocket fire began late on Friday, just hours after five Palestinians were killed during renewed clashes on the Gaza-Israeli border.
The biggest rocket attacks in months came despite talk of progress towards an Egyptian-brokered deal to end months of often violent protests along the border in return for an easing of Israel’s crippling 11-year blockade.
“Overnight, dozens of rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip at communities in southern Israel,” the army said, putting the exact number in a separate announcement at 30.
It said the Iron Dome intercepted approximately 10 of them, while two rockets came down inside the Gaza Strip and the others hit “open areas”. Israeli medics said seven civilians were being treated for shock.
In response to the rockets, Israeli fighter jets, helicopters and drones struck “approximately 80 Hamas targets throughout the Gaza Strip”.
Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2018
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