According to the Israeli army, the country’s Golan Heights have also been hit by rockets, which were identified as errant fire coming from turbulent Syria.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) bombed Hamas targets on August 21 after a rocket explosion in the southern Israeli town of Sderot, the most violent IDF response since Operation Protective Edge in 2014.
Hamas, an Islamist political and militant group, seeks the creation of an independent state of Palestine and wants Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian territories. Hamas also governs the Gaza Strip independently of the Palestinian Authority.
Palestinians seek diplomatic recognition for their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which is partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip. Israel has been building settlements on the occupied territories despite objection from the United Nations.
