Israel intercepts rocket from Gaza as 17 killed near food distribution site

Jerusalem:  The Israeli military said on Tuesday it had intercepted a projectile launched from the northern Gaza Strip.

The projectile triggered air raid sirens in the nearby Zikim beach, the military said in a statement. No casualties or damage were reported so far.

Israel’s Ynet news site reported it was the first rocket fired from the enclave toward Israel in 10 days. Rockets from Gaza have become rare as Israel continues its 20-month offensive in the enclave, which devastated most of the territory, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Israel continued its assaults across the Gaza Strip, including at a food distribution site of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. In two separate incidents, Israeli forces opened fire at crowds making their way to the site, killing at least 17 people and injuring 130 others, according to the Gaza health authorities.

The military released a statement acknowledging that troops opened fire in the area of Wadi Gaza, located “hundreds of metres” from the aid distribution point. It said the fire was “warning shots to distance suspects who were advancing in the area of Wadi Gaza and posed a threat to the troops”.

“An initial inquiry suggests that the number of reported individuals injured does not align with the information held by the IDF (Israel Defense Forces),” the military said, adding that the details were under review.

The Israeli attacks killed at least 54,927 people and injured 126,615 others since October 2023, according to the Gaza health authorities on Monday.

Last month, Israel’s military had intercepted a projectile launched from the Gaza Strip, as fighting escalated across the besieged enclave under its widening military campaign.

In a statement, the military said the projectile was fired from northern Gaza and intercepted by the Israeli Air Force. Air raid sirens sounded in the Lakhish area of southern Israel. There were no reports of casualties.

No group has claimed responsibility for the launch.

The incident came after two rockets were fired from central Gaza. Israel’s military said one was intercepted while the other landed in an open area.

–IANS