Hamas Rocket Fire from Gaza; Air Raid Sirens Sound in Tel Aviv 'After Several Months'

On Sunday, June 6, Hamas launched a barrage of rockets from Gaza towards Tel Aviv, triggering air raid sirens after months of quiet. This attack followed months of extensive Israeli air, ground, and naval operations in Gaza. According to the Associated Press, there were no immediate reports of damage from the Hamas attack. The Times of Israel reported that no one was injured in the attack, but at least one house in Herzliya was damaged. This city is located less than 15 kilometers north of Tel Aviv. It appears to be the first long-range rocket attack from Gaza since January. Palestinian militants have continued sporadic rocket and mortar fire towards Israeli border areas along the Gaza border since January. Hamas's military wing claimed responsibility for the attack, with sounds of rockets being launched heard in central Gaza. The Israeli army stated that eight projectiles were fired from the Rafah area in southern Gaza, where Israeli forces had recently conducted operations. The Israeli army noted that 'some' of the projectiles were intercepted. Prior to the rocket fire, aid trucks had entered Gaza from southern Israel following a new agreement. However, it remains unclear whether humanitarian groups can access this aid amid ongoing conflicts in the region. Egypt has refrained from reopening the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza until control of the crossing is returned to the Palestinians. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and fighters in its counts, the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, now in its eighth month, has killed nearly 36,000 Palestinians. About 80% of Gaza's 2.3 million population has left their homes, widespread severe hunger is reported, and UN officials state that parts of Gaza are experiencing famine. The current war began after Hamas's attack on southern Israel on October 7, during which armed Palestinians killed about 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians, including in their homes or at a music festival.