Bennett
BennettYonatan Sindel/Flash 90

Defense Minister Naftali Bennett accepted the recommendation of the professional echelons and declared a special emergency situation in the home front in localities within the range of 0-80 km (0-50 miles) from the Gaza Strip.

The declaration is valid for 48 hours, unless canceled by the government or the defense minister. The minister can extend the validity of the declaration with the approval of the government by telephone referendum between the ministers.

The defense minister made a statement on the matter to the secretary of the government as well as the chairman of the Foreign and Defense Committee.

Meanwhile, IDF tanks and aircraft attack a number of terrorist targets of the Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip, in response to the firing of about 180 rockets at Israel.

Among the terrorist targets so far attacked in Gaza are a training compound and underground sites for the storage and production of weapons.

"The IDF takes the rocket fire at Israeli territory and Israeli citizens very seriously, and will continue to protect the citizens of the country as well as any action that is required," the IDF spokesman said.

Islamic Jihad has invested a great deal of time and money in establishing the underground sites attacked by the IDF, causing heavy, economic and operational damage to the terrorist organization.