IAF fighter jets attack two sites used by Hamas in central Gaza. Sirens sound in southern Israel during and after the IDF strike.

IDF fighter jets overnight Wednesday struck a raw chemical material production, preservation and storage site used by the rocket production line belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization and a weapon manufacturing site, both located in central Gaza Strip.

The strike was carried out in response to the rocket launch that was intercepted by the IDF Aerial Defense Array from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory on Wednesday afternoon.

“This strike significantly harms the capabilities and prevents further weapon acquisition capabilities of the Hamas terrorist organization. The IDF holds the Hamas terrorist organization responsible for all terror activity emanating from the Gaza Strip and it will face the consequences of the security violations against Israel,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said in a statement.

During the strikes, around 2:30 a.m., sirens sounded in Sderot, Ibim and Nir Am. The IDF said the details are under investigation.

About an hour later, sirens were also heard in the Kfar Aza area. Several rockets exploded in open areas. No physical injuries or damages were reported.

On Wednesday afternoon, sirens were sounded in Sderot, Ibim, and Nir Am, as terrorists from the Gaza Strip fired a rocket which was intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system.

Residents reported hearing explosions following the siren. A 50-year-old woman slipped and was lightly injured while attempting to flee to a bomb shelter in Sderot. Magen Adom Adom personnel treated her and evacuated her to the hospital.

The siren was activated in Sderot during a memorial for the late Ella Abukasis, who was killed in a Qassam rocket attack 18 years ago.

The rocket attack followed a threat by the Islamic Jihad that harming the conditions of security prisoners would lead to a response. The threat came after the National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir ordered the closure of bakeries which provided food to terrorists in prisons.


Sudan on its way to joining the Abraham Accords

Israel now hopes to advance agreements with Mauritania and Indonesia as well.

Sudan and Israel

Sudan and IsraeliStock

Sudan is on its way to officially signing the Abraham Accords, Kan 11 News reported on Wednesday.

According to the report, the issue came up during the meetings of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken with the entire political elite in Israel.

Sudan became the third Arab country to normalize ties with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords brokered by the Trump administration in October of 2020, following the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

The agreement between Israel and Sudan was announced days after then-US President Donald Trump officially removed Sudan from the list of nations that sponsor and finance terrorism.

However, despite the agreement, no steps for full normalization between Israel and Sudan have taken place as of yet, and the only known contacts between the sides have been in the form of reports of Israeli delegations secretly visiting Sudan.

 

According to Wednesday’s report, Sudan negotiated with the United States on the issue and it now appears that the issue is on the verge of being solved, and it is expected to officially join the accords.

An Israeli political source told Haaretz that Israel now hopes to promote agreements with other countries, including Mauritania and Indonesia. “There are seven or eight Arab or Muslim countries that have the potential to be added to the Abraham Accords,” said the source.


Rocket fired from Gaza at southern Israel, intercepted – IDF

Islamic Jihad appeared to take responsibility for the launch, writing on paper attached to the rockets that “[harming] female prisoners is a red line.”

Iron Dome anti-missile system fires interception missiles as rockets are launched from Gaza towards Israel (photo credit: AMIR COHEN/REUTERS)
Iron Dome anti-missile system fires interception missiles as rockets are launched from Gaza towards Israel
(photo credit: AMIR COHEN/REUTERS)

The government on Wednesday faced its first challenge as to how it would respond to rocket fire from the Gaza Strip after sirens sounded early in the evening in Sderot, Ivim and Nir Am and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for an immediate meeting of the security cabinet to determine what action should be taken.

Local residents in Sderot reported hearing a loud explosion shortly after the sirens sounded and the IDF confirmed that the Iron Dome air-defense system intercepted a rocket that had been launched from the Palestinian coastal enclave.

The Sderot Municipality said in a statement later on Wednesday that no direct hits were reported in the city and the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council also confirmed that no rockets landed within its jurisdiction.

 

Islamic Jihad takes responsibility for Gaza Strip rocket launch

Palestinian Islamic Jihad appeared to take responsibility for the launch on Wednesday night, writing on pieces of paper attached to the rockets that “[harming] female prisoners is a red line,” in a video released shortly after the rocket launch.

 

According to the video, the attack was a direct response to another video published by a Palestinian female prisoner in Damon Prison, who called on Palestinian terrorist groups to “show determination to teach the enemy not to harm our women” after she claimed she was mistreated in the Israeli prison.

The Palestinian prisoners at the prison, who were rioting and attempted to torch one of the cells, according to the Israeli Prison Service, were then beaten and sprayed with pepper spray, as per unconfirmed Palestinian reports.

Ben-Gvir, Israeli Prison Service and Palestinian threats

Since entering office, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees the IPS, has made several moves aimed at imposing severe restrictions on Palestinian prisoners jailed for involvement in terrorist attacks.

Last week, a petition filed to the High Court claimed that the IPS barred medical staff in jails across Israel from giving updates to families on the health condition of prisoners

The actions taken by the IPS and Ben-Gvir prompted Qadri Abu Bakr, chairman of the Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission, to declare that Ben-Gvir’s plans could lead to a “general insurrection” in Israeli prisons.

This is a developing story.