Fresh Air

• Over 200 rockets and mortars have been fired by Hamas and other terrorist groups into Israel over the past 24 hours amid talks of a long-term ceasefire
• At least 25 were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome defence system
• More than 140 Hamas targets in Gaza were struck by the IDF in retaliation
• This latest escalation follows the killing of two Hamas snipers during a Hamas training exercise and Hamas gunfire at civilian construction vehicles
• 5 Israelis have been injured, one critically, by rocket fire, with several more being treated for shock
• At least 3 Palestinians have been killed, including a a Hamas commander as well as a pregnant mother and her 18-month-old daughter
• This outbreak of violence follows two previous rounds of major rocket and mortar barrages by Hamas on May 29-30 and July 14-15 and the near-daily use of fire kites and incendiary balloons to terrorise Israelis and burn property and fields, among other violent incidents over recent weeks.
• The conflict has escalated dramatically since the violent and ongoing Hamas-orchestrated weekly riots along the border fence that began March 30
• IDF has ordered all summer schools in the area remain closed and forbids any agricultural work near Gaza
• Sirens continue to blare across the South as of this posting

The reality in Israel for the last 8 hours pic.twitter.com/CrcASE6c6h

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 9, 2018