On Wednesday, Palestinian armed groups fired dozens of rockets at cities in southern Israel, according to what AFP correspondents observed, the day after 16 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip. In cities bordering the Gaza Strip, including Sderot and Ashkelon, sirens sounded. Earlier, the Tel Aviv municipality decided to open public shelters in anticipation of rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.
Massive explosions rocked Gaza since dawn Tuesday, and social media footage showed puffs of smoke and flames illuminating the night sky. The air strikes represent the latest chapter in more than a year of escalating violence as Israeli military raids repeat and settler violence escalates in the occupied West Bank. More than 90 Palestinians and at least 19 Israelis have been killed since January.
