Israeli Warplanes, Navy Boats Bomb Sites in Gaza (LIVE BLOG)

Israeli airstrikes on Gaza. (Photo: Video Grab)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

A military escalation is underway in the besieged Gaza Strip as Israeli bombs have targeted various positions throughout Gaza on Saturday. The Israeli military claimed that the attacks came in response to two rockets fired from Gaza, falling in the Mediterranean Sea, opposite of the Tel Aviv coast.

No Palestinian group has claimed responsibility or confirmed the launch of the rockets. Israeli attacks, however, seem to target positions of various Palestinian groups.

Sunday, January 2, 4:00 pm am (GMT +3)

Egyptian officials pushed for Israel and Palestinian groups to respect the ceasefire in place since the most recent war in May, The Times of Israel reported.

An Egyptian diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, reportedly said, “Neither side wants a full-blown war, they just want guarantees and steps on the ground.”

Sunday, January 2, 3:30 pm am (GMT +3)

In a statement, Palestinian resistance group Hamas termed the Israeli attacks as a “new aggression to be added to Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people.”

“The [Palestinian] resistance will continue to fulfill its duty to defend the [Palestinian] people and liberate the [Palestinian] land and holy sites,” Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said.

Sunday, January 2, 8:00 am (GMT +3)

Palestinian resistance movement Hamas informed Egypt that there would be an escalation if the suffering of Palestinian prisoner Hisham Abu Hawwash goes on, according to Al-Mayadeen.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Hamas told the Egyptian mediators that they “would not be able to prevent Palestinian Islamic Jihad from responding if prisoner Abu Hawwash is martyred.”

Sunday, January 2, 12:30 am (GMT +3)

Isreali navy boats shell boats belonging to Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Gaza, Palestine Chronicle correspondent in the Strip reported.

Saturday, January 1, 11:50 pm (GMT +3)

Israeli warplanes bombed several sites across the besieged Gaza Strip on Saturday night, 

Palestine Chronicle correspondent reported.

Israeli warplanes fired five missiles at a site to the west of the city of Khan Younis, belonging to a Palestinian resistance group.

Saturday, January 1, 9:10 pm (GMT +3)

Unnamed Israeli military officials said that the Israeli army was mulling a response to two rockets allegedly launched from the Gaza Strip, which landed off the coast of Tel Aviv, The Times of Israel reported.

Saturday, January 1, 12 pm (GMT +3)

Palestinian resistance in Gaza reportedly fired two rockets, causing an explosion off the Tel Aviv coast, the Israeli army said according to Reuters.

(The Palestine Chronicle)

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