Terrorist tunnel
Terrorist tunnelIsrael news photo: Flash 90

Retaliating for a Kassam rocket that damaged a factory building in the western Negev yesterday, Israeli jets bombed three targets in Gaza over the night. The IDF reports “precise hits.”

Among the hit targets were a terrorist tunnel leading to Israel, an arms-manufacturing lab in northern Gaza, and a terrorist headquarters in southern Gaza.

The destroyed tunnel's opening was located a kilometer away from the border fence with Israel. It was designed for terrorists to infiltrate into Israel to commit attacks against Israelis – similar to the type they perpetrated four years ago when they tunneled into Israel, killed two soldiers, and kidnapped Gilad Shalit.

In addition to the Kassam that hit a plant yesterday, Hamas terrorists in Gaza fired more than ten other Kassams and mortar shells at Israel over the past week, and several others in the days before that. No one was hurt in the attacks.

Over 90 rockets and mortar shells have been fired at Israeli territory since the beginning of 2010, and over 330 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel since the end of operation Cast Lead 18 months ago.

Announcing its retaliatory attack, the IDF stated that it will “not tolerate any attempt to harm the citizens of the State of Israel and the soldiers of the IDF, and will continue to act with determination and strength against any element that activates terrorism against the State of Israel.”

“The IDF views the Hamas terrorist organization as exclusively responsible for whatever happens in the Gaza Strip and for maintaining quiet there,” the statement continued.