On Tuesday, August 13, 2024, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced that they had launched two rockets at Tel Aviv and its suburbs in central occupied Palestinian territories. The attack was declared as a “response to Israeli massacres against civilians” in the Gaza Strip, marking the first such strike since May 26.
In a brief statement, al-Qassam confirmed, “We have targeted Tel Aviv and its suburbs with two M90 rockets in retaliation for the Zionist massacres against civilians and the deliberate displacement of our people in the Gaza Strip.”
This marks the first time rockets have been launched from Gaza toward Tel Aviv since May 26, 2024.
Israeli media outlets reported a large explosion in Tel Aviv, while the Israeli military noted that a rocket was detected as being launched from the Gaza Strip, falling into the sea in central Israel without triggering alarms.
The Israeli military stated in a written declaration, “A rocket projectile was detected from the Gaza Strip, which landed in the maritime area of central Israel. No alerts were activated according to the established policy.”
Israeli media, including Channel 12, reported that residents in Tel Aviv and central Israel heard a large explosion.
The Israeli army radio confirmed that the rockets were launched from the Bani Suhaila area in Khan Yunis, while the 98th Division of the Israeli army was stationed just one and a half kilometers from the launch site.
Activists noted that the rocket is approximately 6 meters long, with a warhead weighing 50 kilograms, requiring eight men to carry and specific methods to secure it before launch. They questioned, “How was all this achieved amid the presence of the Israeli army and its aircraft that never leave Gaza’s skies?”
This development comes as Israel remains on high alert, anticipating possible retaliation from Iran and Hezbollah following the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and Tel Aviv’s claim of responsibility for the assassination of Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr in Beirut last week.
