The UK Foreign Office has condemned “indiscriminate attacks against civilians by Palestinian Islamic Jihad” as “completely unacceptable” and has welcomed a ceasefire, in a statement released today.
A ceasefire agreed between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) yesterday morning was violated on at least four separate occasions by rocket fire throughout the day.
The rocket attacks drew retaliatory IDF airstrikes against PIJ positions in Gaza overnight. The fragile truce, mediated by Egyptian and UN officials, appears to still be in place, although many fear hostilities may resume.
Since Tuesday morning, over 450 rockets have been fired at Israel by terrorists in Gaza, after Israel killed senior PIJ leader, Baha Abu Al-Ata, on Monday night.
The rocket attacks predominantly targeted towns and villages in southern Israel but in some cases reached central Israel, Tel Aviv and surrounding areas, and areas near Jerusalem.
58 Israelis were injured in the attacks and homes were damaged by rocket hits. The deliberate targeting of civilian areas constitutes a war crime, and PIJ is designated as a terrorist organisation by the UK, US, EU, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Israel.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry say that 34 Gazans were killed. Israel said the overwhelming majority of the fatalities belonged to terror groups.
