Israel foils major Hamas rocket barrage on October 7 anniversary, IDF says 'thwarted immediate threat'

First Published Oct 7, 2024, 10:58 AM IST | Last Updated Oct 7, 2024, 10:58 AM IST

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it successfully foiled a major Hamas rocket barrage on Monday morning, as the militant group attempted to mark the anniversary of the October 7 massacre with a renewed assault. According to the IDF, Hamas had planned to launch a significant number of rockets at Israel, but military forces neutralized the threat just before the attack could be executed.

Also read: 40,000 Hamas targets bombed in Gaza so far: Israel on high alert on 1st anniversary of October 7 massacre

In a statement, the IDF revealed that its fighter jets struck several rocket launchers and tunnels across Gaza just before 6:30 a.m., moments before Hamas intended to begin its barrage. “The IDF thwarted an immediate threat, following preliminary preparation and the identification of an intention by the terrorist organization Hamas to fire at the territory of the State of Israel," it said in a post on X.

Despite the preemptive strikes, Hamas reportedly managed to launch four rockets toward the Sufa area in southern Israel at the planned time. Three of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system, and the fourth landed in an open area, causing no casualties or damage.

Hamas’s planned rocket attack comes as tensions remain high, particularly on the anniversary of the October 7, 2023, massacre, which saw unprecedented violence as Hamas launched an attack on Israeli civilians. The IDF had previously warned that Hamas would likely escalate its rocket fire and other attacks on this date, and the military bolstered its forces in Gaza and along the borders accordingly.

In addition to the early morning strikes, the IDF reported that it had targeted multiple Hamas sites in central Gaza overnight, focusing on locations that posed a threat to Israeli forces operating in the region, particularly around the Netzarim Corridor. These strikes were part of a larger ongoing military effort to dismantle Hamas’s operational infrastructure in Gaza.

"Fighter jets of the Air Force recently attacked launching positions and an underground route of the terrorist organization Hamas throughout the Gaza Strip," the IDF added.

"During the night, the Air Force attacked targets in the center of the Gaza Strip that posed a threat to the IDF forces operating in the area, and artillery fire was carried out. The IDF prepares in advance for various terrorist patterns and acts accordingly in defense and attack. Home Front Command guidelines save lives. The public is requested to continue to obey these instructions," the statement concluded.

Over the past year, the IDF has conducted an extensive military campaign against Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza. Since the start of the conflict, the military claims to have bombed more than 40,000 targets in the region, uncovered 4,700 tunnel shafts, and destroyed 1,000 rocket launcher sites.

Hamas, along with other groups, has fired 13,200 rockets into Israel from Gaza since the beginning of the war. In addition to Gaza, Israel has faced rocket fire from Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and even Iran, further escalating the conflict.

Since the outbreak of hostilities on October 7, 2023, the IDF reported that 726 Israeli soldiers have been killed, with 380 perishing during the attacks on that day and 346 in subsequent fighting in Gaza. The IDF also reported over 4,500 wounded troops, and another 56 soldiers died in operational accidents during the year.

As part of its ongoing military operations, the IDF has called up 300,000 reservists since the start of the war. Nearly half of those called up were aged 20 to 29, highlighting the young demographic involved in Israel’s defense efforts.

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