Israel/Palestinian Territories: Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza June 27

Event

The Israeli Army launched airstrikes on three positions in the Gaza Strip between Monday evening, June 26, and early morning Tuesday, June 27, after a rocket was launched from Gaza. The rocket from the Gaza Strip landed in the Israeli town of Shaar Hanegev but injured no one, according to the Ministry of Health. The responsive airstrikes mainly targeted the city of Gaza.

Such incidents are common between Israel and the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the Hamas organization.

Context

Despite the somewhat regular cross-border fire, Israel and Hamas have officially observed a ceasefire since the end of the Israeli offensive on Gaza that occurred during the summer of 2014, the third offensive since the beginning of Hamas control in Gaza in 2007. The rockets are often launched from Gaza by radical Palestinian groups; Israel, though, typically places the blame directly on Hamas.

Longstanding political and social tensions between Israelis and Palestinians contribute to frequent security incidents of varying severity. Tensions have been on the rise since the beginning of 2017.

Advice

Individuals in Israel and the Palestinian territories are advised to monitor the situation. Due to the prevailing threat of terrorism, individuals throughout Israel should report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities and always be on guard when visiting sites deemed particularly vulnerable to an attack (public transportation, train stations, ports, airports, public or government buildings, embassies or consulates, international organizations, schools and universities, religious sites, markets, hotels and restaurants frequented by foreigners/Westerners, festivals, etc.).