Israeli fighter jets pounded targets in the Gaza Strip and more rockets were launched into Israel by Palestinians as the deadly confrontation continued for a fourth straight day,
Al Jazeera reports.
There were no immediate reports of casualties on either side on Friday as foreign mediators pressed ahead with efforts to reach a ceasefire.
Al Jazeera’s Willem Marx, reporting from the Israeli town of Ashkelon, said sirens were sounding throughout the area, warning residents of incoming fire.
“Possibly about two dozen rockets were fired from Gaza – among the more than 800 launched this week,” said Marx. “The Israeli military has confirmed to us it is moving residents away from these areas to get them to places less likely to be hit by this heavy rocket fire.”
Fighter jets were heard flying over the region, indicating Israeli raids were continuing. The past few days of fighting have killed 31 Palestinians in Gaza and a 70-year-old man in central Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met army and intelligence officials early Friday. “That will indicate how the Israeli military will proceed over the coming hours,” said Marx.
A rocket slammed into an open field in the south Jerusalem settlement of Bat Ayin, said Josh Hasten, a spokesperson for the area. Videos showed Israelis jumping out of their cars and crouching beneath highway rails as the sirens sounded.
An umbrella group of Gaza-based Palestinian factions known as the “joint operations room” said it launched rockets “in response to the assassinations and continued aggression toward the Palestinian people”.
Al Jazeera’s Youmna El Sayed, reporting from Gaza, said people were out to attend Friday prayers but concerns over Israeli strikes reverberated among worshippers.
“There is constant fear here. We expect everyone will stay home after Friday prayers, but residences have been targeted over the past few days. The amount of fear here remains very high,” she said.
