Israel ‘Continues to Smash’ Hamas, Warns Civilians to Flee and Treats Injured

Israel continues to destroy Hamas infrastructure while warning area residents to flee and treating injured in hospitals. Hamas uses civilians as human shields.

Rockets from Gaza continued to rain down on southern Israel on Monday – the seventh day of Operation Protective Edge – with one of them landing in the yard of a home in Ashdod and lightly injuring an eight-year-old boy as well as setting fire on a parked vehicle.

The Ashkelon Coast Regional Council became a closed military zone. Code red sirens blared in several southern cities.

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon told an IDF briefing that when the Hamas leadership “comes out of hiding” and observes the destruction to their organization, they will “regret” having intensified their aggression against Israel over the last several weeks.

“We continue to smash Hamas and its infrastructure,” Ya’alon stated. “We have destroyed weapons-production capabilities, tunnels, homes of terrorists and institutions, and we will continue to do so.”

Defense Minister: Israel Must ‘Maintain High State of Readiness’

According to Ynet, “Hamas launched an unmanned aerial vehicle towards southern Israel on Monday morning from the Gaza Strip, as militants continued to fire rockets on Israeli cities and towns. The latest weapon in the arsenal of the Gaza-based terrorist organization was intercepted by a Patriot missile defense battery deployed in central Israel.

“Israeli Navy forces were deployed to search the area,” the report continues. “The UAV infiltration attempt caused Code Red sirens to blare in the Ashdod area, though incoming rocket salvos meant the alarm continued ringing for over two hours.

“Hamas is trying everything it can to produce some kind of achievement and it is crucial that we maintain our high state of readiness,” Yaalon asserted. “The shooting down of a drone this morning by our air defense system is an example of their efforts to strike at us in any way possible.”

Hamas: ‘We are Leading our People to Death’

On Sunday, Hamas senior spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri, acknowledged the use of innocent civilians in Gaza as human shields in the war against the Jewish State. Speaking on the terror group’s Al Aqsa TV, he declared:

“This is something our people should hear. We are not leading our people today to destruction. We are leading our people to death.”

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) documented another TV interview given last week, in which Abu Zuhri said that the human shield policy is effective.

“This attests to the character of our noble, Jihad-fighting people who defend their rights and their homes with their bare chests and their blood,” he said.

On Sunday, thousands of northern Gaza residents fled their homes, according to IDF instructions, and made their way to UN shelters.

The Israelis dropped leaflets and left voice and text messages, saying:

It is the intention of the IDF to attack from the air terror infrastructure and terrorists in the area…. Residents must evacuate their homes by 12 pm, noon, today heading south towards Jabalia.”

The IDF operation will be temporary and short,” the message continued. “Those who do not adhere to these instructions will risk their own lives and the lives of their families. Be careful. Stay safe.”

Injured Gaza Civilians Treated in Israeli Hospitals

An unsubstantiated number of Gazans are receiving medical treatment in Israel.

According to a Ha’aretz report, “Even as Israeli air strikes are taking the lives of Palestinian children during Operation Protective Edge, Israeli doctors in Holon are laboring to save the lives of Palestinian children born with heart defects.

“The Walla news website reports that even on the day that the operation launched on Tuesday, seven Palestinian children arrived at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon for treatment.”

Author: Atara Beck
Senior Writer/Editor, United with Israel

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