Israeli Army: We Hold Syria and the Quds Force Responsible for New Rocket Attacks

Following another tense Friday between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza, while Israeli airstrikes on Gaza continued on one side and rocket attacks on southern Israel persisted on the other, the Israeli army announced that it holds Syria and Iran responsible for the new wave of violence. About 16,000 Palestinians in Gaza gathered for another protest on Friday, November 4, called by Hamas, continuing the demonstrations of recent months at the Gaza-Israel border, which included burning tires and attempts to breach the border fence. The Israeli army reacted to these protests while Avigdor Lieberman, the country's defense minister, had predicted in a military assessment meeting at the Gaza border early Friday that this Friday would be 'calm,' but he also attended an 'emergency meeting' on Saturday to review the situation in Gaza. The Israeli military's response to the border protests led to the deaths of six Palestinians and injuries to about 200 others by midnight Friday, which in turn prompted multiple rocket attacks from Gaza to southern Israel. The 'Saraya al-Quds,' the military branch of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization, claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks on Saturday, threatening that it would increase the 'range of the rockets' even further. Recent reports from the region indicate that there is a possibility of a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza mediated by Egypt, and it seems that the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization has shown a willingness towards it. According to the Ynet website, the rocket attacks on Israel have been the 'heaviest' since summer, causing no casualties but only damage to an agricultural greenhouse in a settlement on the Ashkelon coast. The Israeli army stated that of the 39 rockets launched from Gaza in the early hours of the attacks, the Iron Dome system intercepted 17 rockets. However, the rocket attacks have created a new alert status for Israeli passenger flights. According to media reports, Ben Gurion Airport, the main international airport of the country, which operates hundreds of flights daily, has had to change the landing and takeoff routes of its planes and those of foreign airlines due to concerns about the possibility of rocket strikes. This is the second time in recent weeks that concerns about potential rocket strikes on passenger flights at Ben Gurion have led to changes in flight paths. The Israeli Air Force also responded to the rocket attacks by targeting at least 80 sites in various parts of the Gaza Strip until the early hours of Saturday. According to Palestinian sources in Gaza, what Israel called 'one of the main Hamas headquarters' that it bombed was a four-story building of Hamas's internal security organization, which was completely destroyed. French and Associated Press news agencies have transmitted numerous images of the destruction of this building. Palestinian sources claim that a Gaza hospital was also damaged. Colonel Manlis, a spokesman for the Israeli army, stated on Saturday that since the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization carried out the rocket attacks on southern Israel, Israel considers the Damascus government and the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which is present in Syria, responsible for these attacks. Colonel Manlis added, 'We have conveyed the necessary messages through channels to the elements behind these attacks, and we say that no one, whether in Gaza or outside of it, is immune from our response.' He did not provide further details on this matter. Meanwhile, the spokesman said that since Hamas governs Gaza, Israel's response has been targeted at Hamas's objectives, because 'who fired the rockets is a matter that concerns Hamas.' Palestinian media have reported that Hamas was 'unaware' of the rocket launches by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Jason Greenblatt, the U.S. President's special representative for the Middle East, tweeted on Friday: 'Israeli parents are once again caring for their frightened children; this violence benefits no one.' Amid the Palestinian protests at the Gaza borders, which have continued since the 10th of Farvardin (March 30), a new movement has drawn the attention of media and social networks. Young Palestinian men and teenagers have recently bared their chests while holding the Palestinian flag in one hand and throwing stones at the border fence with the other. According to Haaretz and Al Jazeera, the similarity between images of Mustafa Hassouna, a 20-year-old man with a flag in one hand and a slingshot in the other at the protests, and one of the most famous paintings related to the French Revolution, depicting a woman with a half-bare chest and a flag in hand, has attracted media and social network attention. Additionally, social media and news outlets have compared this man to various famous statues from the 'Battle of David and Goliath,' where the prophet David holds a slingshot. Mustafa Hassouna stated that he has been participating in this manner in weekly border protests for a long time and was unaware that a professional photographer had taken his picture. The attention to Hassouna's photos has encouraged other teenagers and young men to bare their chests and hold the flag and slingshot. In this context, the clashes on Friday at the Israel-Gaza border resulted in the deaths of six Palestinians. Israel closed two land crossings with the Gaza Strip following reciprocal attacks.