John Jefferson
The Israel Defense Forces announced Monday that multiple rockets were fired toward Israel from the Gaza Strip on the one-year anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attack that launched the war.
Military officials say the Israeli Air Force “intercepted five launches that crossed from the north of the Gaza Strip” into Israel. The Jerusalem Post reported that two people were lightly injured after being hit with shrapnel.
“Sirens sounded in Israeli communities surrounding Gaza a few moments ago,” the IDF wrote on X. “At exactly this time last year, sirens were sounded all over Israel, marking the beginning of Hamas’ October 7 massacre.”
The Israeli military said prior to the attack, its troops “struck Hamas terror targets and launchers throughout the Gaza Strip” in order to thwart “an immediate threat.”
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“A short while ago, the Israel Air Force (IAF) struck Hamas launch posts and underground terrorist infrastructure,” the IDF added. “Furthermore, overnight, the IAF and IDF artillery struck targets in the central Gaza Strip that posed a threat to IDF troops operating in the area.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited a memorial in Jerusalem on Monday for civilians, first responders and soldiers killed in Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
“We remember our fallen, our hostages – whom we are committed to return – our heroes who fell in defense of our homeland and country. We went through a terrible massacre a year ago and we arose as a nation as lions,” he said.
ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF OCT. 7 ATTACKS ARRIVES WITH LASTING TRAUMA FOR ISRAELIS, AMERICAN JEWS: EXPERT
There are still 101 hostages who have been held in Gaza by Hamas since the start of the war. Thirty-six of them are declared dead and their bodies are being held by the terrorist group.
Idan Shtivi, a 28-year-old who volunteered to photograph the Nova music festival in southern Israel that Hamas attacked on Oct. 7, was declared dead on Monday.
Idan, an environmental sciences student, loved nature, camping, and music. He was planning to work in the energy sector to combat climate change and join an African volunteer program that aids children.
“On October 7, Idan arrived at the Nova Festival in the early morning to document his friends’ performances and workshops. However, he never made it inside,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. “When the attack began, Idan helped two strangers he had just met escape from the site. This selfless choice ultimately led to his abduction.”
Fox News’ Yonat Friling and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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