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Hamas says it has launched a “big” rocket attack at the Tel Aviv area in central Israel.<\/p>\n
At least eight rockets were launched from the Rafah area in southern Gaza, the Israeli military said, adding that several were intercepted. No injuries were reported.<\/p>\n
It is the first time in nearly four months that Hamas has attacked central Israel, and comes as Israel carries out a military operation in Rafah, defying a ruling by the UN’s top court.<\/p>\n
It also comes as truce talks aimed at ending the conflict are expected to resume on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
A degree of normality had returned to Tel Aviv – the economic centre of Israel – since it was last attacked in January.<\/p>\n
Sirens also sounded in other Israeli cities and towns, including Herzliya and Petah Tikva.<\/p>\n
Israeli media published footage of missile fragments in the garden of a building in Herzliya.<\/p>\n
Other footage appeared to show shrapnel damage to a bedroom in a house.<\/p>\n
A different video showed a large crater apparently created by a rocket in an open area near the central town of Kfar Saba.<\/p>\n
The military wing of Hamas, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, announced the attack on its Telegram channel.<\/p>\n
It did not confirm the attack was launched from Rafah – where fighting has been reported near the Kuwaiti Hospital.<\/p>\n
Palestinian media reported that at least one person had been killed and several others injured in an Israeli air strike on a residential home in central Rafah.<\/p>\n
The reports said many of the wounded were taken to the Kuwaiti Hospital.<\/p>\n
Israel began its offensive in the southern Gaza city about three weeks ago, vowing to destroy what it said were the remaining Hamas battalions there.<\/p>\n
The UN says more than 800,000 Palestinians have fled the southern city. About 1.5 million had been sheltering from the fighting elsewhere in Gaza there.<\/p>\n
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza began after gunmen from Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people and taking 252 others back to Gaza as hostages.<\/p>\n
At least 35,800 Palestinians have been killed in the war since then, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.<\/p>\n
With the latest attack, Hamas may be trying to show its strength ahead of fresh negotiations expected to start on Tuesday to try to end the conflict – or it may be trying to derail them.<\/p>\n
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