Three people were lightly wounded in Ashkelon early on Sunday when a rocket from Gaza scored a direct hit on an apartment in the southern Israeli city.
🚨 A short time ago an alarm was sounded in the city of Ashkelon.
A report of a direct hit to the house with no casualties and one interception.
And if I’m already reporting it. So I did get to see the rocket in the sky myself while I was on my way home. Luckily I managed to… pic.twitter.com/hUWPxVkZr5
— Eli Afriat (@EX1LEISR) May 11, 2024
The three were evacuated to the city’s Barzilai Medical Center, where they are listed as being in good condition.
Rocket alerts sounded shortly after 1 a.m. in the southern Ashkelon area, including the industrial zone.
On Friday evening, Hamas fired nine rockets from Rafah in southern Gaza at the Israeli city of Beersheba, hitting a children’s playground.
Hamas launched its First Rocket Attack from the Gaza Strip against the City of Beersheba since December earlier today, with only 1 Rocket being Intercepted by the Iron Dome while at least 4 Impacted in and around the City, including one which Struck a Playground. pic.twitter.com/Lo75u950is
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 10, 2024
Five IDF soldiers slain in Gaza over the weekend
Five IDF soldiers were killed in Gaza over the weekend as the army issued evacuation orders for Jabalia in the northern Strip ahead of a major operation after attempts by Hamas to regroup there.
The IDF on Saturday night announced the death of Staff Sgt. Ariel Tsym, 20, from Modi’in. He was a combat soldier in the 931st Battalion’s Nahal Infantry Brigade who was killed in action in the northern Gaza Strip.
We are heartbroken to report on the death of another #IDF soldier: 20-year-old Staff Sergeant Ariel Tsym was killed in #Gaza during this current operation against #Hamas terrorists.
May his memory forever be a blessing. 🕯️ pic.twitter.com/Q2e7b9WE3j— StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) May 11, 2024
On Friday, the military published the names of four soldiers, all aged 19, who were killed in action in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood. They are Sgt. Itay Livny, Sgt. Yosef Dassa, Sgt. Ermiyas Mekuriyaw and Sgt. Daniel Levy. The four men were also from the 931st Battalion of the Nahal Brigade.
We are heartbroken to report on the death of 4 #IDF soldiers who were killed in #Gaza during this current operation against #Hamas terrorists.
Their names:
Sergeant Itay Livny (19) 🕯️
Sergeant Yosef Dassa (19) 🕯️
Sergeant Ermiyas Mekuriyaw (19) 🕯️
Sergeant Daniel Levy (19) 🕯️… pic.twitter.com/R7TwqGgebU— StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) May 10, 2024
The casualties raise the military death toll to 272 since the start of ground operations in Gaza on Oct. 27 and to 620 on all fronts since the start of the war of Oct. 7.
Upcoming battle in Jabalia
The IDF on Saturday morning called for noncombatants to evacuate the Jabalia area of northern Gaza “following attempts by Hamas to reassemble its terrorist infrastructure and operatives in the area.
According to the army, 100,000 to 150,000 civilians will need to temporarily relocate to shelters in western Gaza City “to reduce harm to the civilian population and to move civilians away from the combat zone, in accordance with international law.”
Following attempts by Hamas to reassemble its terrorist infrastructure and operatives in Jabaliya, the IDF has called on the civilian population of Jabaliya and the surrounding areas to temporarily evacuate to shelters in western Gaza City. This is being done in accordance with… pic.twitter.com/20TFn9A24s
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 11, 2024
This is the first mass evacuation and major operation in northern Gaza since the IDF declared full operational control there in January.
The IDF said that the lack of a government decision to replace Hamas with another authority to manage Gaza has wasted many of the military’s operational achievements and could threaten the wider war effort as the enemy continues to attempt to reestablish itself.
Intensifying combat in Zeitoun
As part of the intensification of activities in another area of northern Gaza, Zeitoun, where the five soldiers were killed, the IDF said that terrorists were killed and large amounts of weapons were confiscated, including AK-47 rifles, military vests and additional weapons and military equipment that were hidden inside a medical clinic.
The IDF has begun a targeted operation in Zeitoun located in central Gaza.
The operation began with intelligence-based aerial strikes where approx. 25 terrorist targets were dismantled and eliminated including: military structures, terrorist tunnels, observation posts and sniper… pic.twitter.com/Bk30cxUkLd
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 9, 2024
Israeli Air Force fighter jets also struck terror targets across the Gaza Strip in recent days, including “military” structures, observation posts, terrorist operatives and additional terrorist infrastructure.
Rafah fight expands
The IDF also expanded its evacuation orders for eastern Rafah in southernmost Gaza from 100,000 to 300,000 people, as part of a targeted operation that began last week that included taking control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing to Egypt.
IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said on Saturday night that dozens of terrorists have been killed, underground tunnels uncovered and weapons confiscated during the operation so far, stressing that the activities there “remain limited in scope and focus on tactical advances; tactical adjustments; and military advantages — and have avoided densely populated areas.”
With reporting by JNS.
