Israel ramps up airstrikes against Hamas, readies ground troops

last updated 14 May 2021

The Israeli military readied troops for action in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, raising the likelihood of a ground invasion following several nights of exchanged air strikes, reports The Washington Post.

On Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes left several senior Hamas figures dead, while rockets fired from Gaza killed four Israelis. Israel reported Thursday that three rockets approached Israel from Lebanon; though no one has claimed them, "there are several groups in Lebanon that support the Palestinians, and a major attack would mark a significant regional escalation in the ongoing conflict," writes The Wall Street Journal.

The fighting began over Israel's planned evictions of Palestinian families from their homes in East Jerusalem. During demonstrations at the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque, Israeli forces fired tear gas and stun grenades at protesters, and in response, Hamas began firing rockets into Jerusalem on Monday. Since then, strikes have killed more than 103 people in Gaza, including 27 children, and six Israelis, including one child.