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March 14, 2019 4:06 pm
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Sirens Sound in Tel Aviv as City Targeted by Gaza Rockets for First Time Since 2014

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avatar by Barney Breen-Portnoy

The Tel Aviv skyline at night. Photo: Gilad Avidan via Wikimedia Commons.

Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv on Thursday night after two rockets were launched toward the Israeli coastal metropolis from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

The rockets hit open areas, and no injuries or damage were reported, but a number of people were treated for symptoms of shock.

This marked the first rocket attack on Tel Aviv since the summer of 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, when the city was targeted repeatedly by Palestinian terror groups in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — who also holds the defense portfolio — convened a meeting of top brass at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv following the incident to assess the situation and weigh potential responses.

As of press time, it was not clear who fired the rockets. Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad — the two largest terrorist organizations in Gaza — denied responsibility.

An Israeli military spokesperson said there had been no advance intelligence warnings of the rocket fire.

According to media reports, both UN and Egyptian officials were seeking to prevent a violent escalation.

US President Donald Trump’s special representative for international negotiations, Jason Greenblatt, blamed Hamas for Tuesday’s occurrence.

He tweeted, “This is what prevents the world from helping the people of Gaza! We strongly support Israel in defense of its citizens. Always!”

The attack prompted several municipalities in central Israel to open their public bomb shelters.

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