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Air raid sirens were activated Sunday evening across multiple communities in southern Israel in what appeared to be the most extensive rocket barrage from the Gaza Strip in months.
Sirens sounded in the cities of Ashkelon, Ashdod, Yavne and other towns in the Shfela and Lachish regions, prompting residents to seek shelter.
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Rocket impact caught on camera in Ashkelon
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Rocket impact site in Ashkelon
(Video: Israel Fire and Rescue Services )
The IDF reported that approximately ten projectiles were identified crossing into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip and most of them were successfully intercepted.
Hamas claimed responsibility for a rocket attack targeting Ashdod the cities of Ashdod and Ashkelon.
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Rockets fired from the Gaza Strip intercepted by Israeli air defenses over Ashdod
(Video: Dan Uchnik)
The rockets were reportedly launched from Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, an area where Israeli ground forces have not yet conducted operations.
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Magen David Adom Director-General Eli Bin said Sunday that three people were lightly wounded at the site of a rocket impact in Ashkelon, where several vehicles were damaged. One person was injured by shrapnel, while the other two were apparently hurt while running to a shelter.
Police said teams were responding to a site where rocket interception debris had fallen.
The Ashkelon municipality claimed that the injuries were caused by a direct rocket hit as opposed to interception debris.
Earlier, police said that teams were responding to the site of falling debris from an intercepted rocket in Ashkelon, with no injuries reported at the site.
Rocket fire from Gaza came after the IDF ramped up operations in the coastal enclave in recent days. The military demolished several homes near the Morag Corridor and began bulldozing agricultural land in the Kizan Rashwan area, southwest of Khan Younis.
Meanwhile, a senior Palestinian official denied reports aired by Saudi-owned Al Hadath that Egypt had submitted a new cease-fire and hostage deal proposal to Hamas. The official said Cairo had instead presented a framework that merges elements of Hamas’ earlier positions with Israeli demands.
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Rockets fired from the Gaza Strip intercepted by Israeli air defenses over Ashdod
(Photo: Dan Uchnik)
According to the source, “There is Egyptian optimism about the proposal’s chances for success in halting the fighting in Gaza, particularly in light of Monday's meeting between Netanyahu and Trump.” He added that Hamas had shown flexibility during its recent discussions with Egyptian mediators regarding post-war arrangements.
Earlier, a Palestinian official told Sky News Arabia that a Fatah delegation presented Cairo with a roadmap for dialogue with Hamas. The plan urges Hamas to accept United Nations resolutions as a basis for resolving the war and emphasizes the need for the terrorist group to adopt the commitments made by the Palestine Liberation Organization at the national, regional and international levels.
Under the proposal, Hamas would agree to unify political institutions, including governance, arms control, the rule of law and political pluralism. It would also commit to ending its exclusive rule in Gaza and begin steps to reunify the coastal enclave with the West Bank.
The Fatah plan calls for agreement on a unified vision of resistance—defined as peaceful and nonviolent—and on the establishment of a modern state based on pluralism, freedom of expression, the rule of law and peaceful transfers of power. It also stresses the need to build a shared political partnership through a democratic process leading to elections.