The Palestinian militant group Hamas issued an ultimatum to the Israelis living in Ashkelon, a coastal city in southern Israel. They demanded that they leave their homes by 5 p.m. or face a deadly rocket attack. As the deadline approached, Hamas fired a volley of rockets at the city, triggering air raid sirens and panic among the residents.
Many people ran for cover, seeking shelter in an airport or other safe places. Some of them were seen holding their children tightly as they fled from the incoming rockets. Video footage captured the scenes of fear and chaos.
The rocket attack was a response to the Israeli airstrikes that have hit more than a thousand Hamas targets and killed 770 Palestinians in the Gaza strip. Israel has vowed to crush Hamas with “unprecedented force” and “massive attacks” by its air force every four hours. It has also warned Hamas that it has “nowhere to hide” from its 600 planes and 300 rocket launchers.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been in power for three terms since 1996, compared Hamas to the Islamic State group and said that Israel would use such force that it would “reverberate for generations.” Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said, “We will reach them everywhere.”
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