A Tense Weekend In Southern Israel

Friday (23.4.2021):

23:02- Sirens sounded in the kibbutz of Kissufim and the area surrounding the Gaza Strip.

23:31- IDF: Three rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip, one of which was intercepted by the Iron Dome Aerial Defense System. Two rockets exploded near the security fence.

Saturday  (24.4.2021):

01:51- Sirens sounded in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip. 

02:13- Sirens sounded in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip.

02:30- IDF: Three rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory. In response, an IDF tank struck a military post belonging to the Hamas terror organization in the Gaza Strip. Later on, two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip, one of which was intercepted by the Iron Dome Aerial Defense System. Another siren sounded in the area.

02:31- IDF: Following the previous report regarding the sirens which sounded in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip a short while ago, four rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip, two of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome Aerial Defense System.

02:34- Sirens sounded in Moshav Netiv HaAsara.

02:46-  IDF: Following the previous report regarding sirens which sounded a few minutes ago in Moshav Netiv HaAsara, a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israeli territory.

03:11- Sirens sounded in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip.

03:34- Sirens sounded in Kibbutz Kerem Shalom.

03:52- Sirens sounded in Kibbutz Nahal Oz. 

04:08- IDF: Following the previous reports regarding the sirens which sounded in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip a short while ago, five rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip.

04:59- Sirens sounded in Kibbutz Kerem Shalom.

05:22- IDF: Following the previous reports regarding the sirens which sounded in Kibbutz Kerem Shalom a short while ago, three rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip.

05:29- Sirens sounded in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip. 

05:33- IDF: In response to the rocket fired at Israeli territory, IDF fighter jets and attack helicopters struck a number of Hamas military targets in the Gaza Strip, including an underground infrastructure and rocket launchers belonging to the Hamas terror organization.

05:34- sirens sounded in Moshav Netiv HaAsara.

05:36- Sirens sounded in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip. 

05:40- Sirens sounded in Kibbutz Kissufim.

05:42- Sirens sounded in Kibbutz Kissufim.

05:49- Sirens sounded in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip. 

06:00-  Sirens sounded in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip. 

09:43- IDF: Overnight, 36 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory. The Iron Dome Aerial Defense System intercepted six of the rockets.

14:18- IDF: The Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, held a situational assessment that ended shortly ago at the IDF HQ (HaKirya). The situational assessment was held with the participation of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, the Head of the Operations Directorate, the Commanding Officer of the Southern Command, the Commanding Officer of the Home Front Command, the Head of the Intelligence Directorate, the Commanding Officer of the Israeli Air Force, the Commanding Officer of the Central Command, the Commanding Officer of the Israeli Navy, The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, representatives of the Israeli Police, the ISA and the NSC, along with several other commanders. During the situational assessment, the Chief of the General Staff instructed a series of steps for possible responses and preparation in the event of an escalation of the current situation. Due to said events and possible developments, the Chief of the General Staff decided to postpone his trip to the United States.

21:01-  Sirens sounded in the city of Sderot and in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip.

21:09- IDF: Following the previous report regarding the sirens which sounded in the city of Sderot and in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip a short while ago, a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip. The rocket was intercepted by the Iron Dome Aerial Defense System.

22:29- Sirens sounded in Kibbutz Nirim.

22:43 - IDF: Following the previous report regarding the sirens which sounded in Kibbutz Nirim a short while ago, a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip, which exploded near the security fence.

23:57- IDF: A short while ago, a failed launch attempt was identified from the Gaza Strip, which exploded inside the Gaza Strip. As a result, an alert was activated in the Home Front Command App and in open areas only.

Sunday (25.4.2021):

16:18 - IDF: The Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, conducted an operational assessment of the situation at the Gaza Division Headquarters. The Chief of the General Staff ordered continued readiness for a variety of scenarios in the southern theater, along with advancing preparations for escalation. In addition, the Chief of the General Staff met with the heads of the local authorities to discuss the latest developments.
From the Chief of the General Staff to the heads of the local authorities: "I would like to express my great appreciation for the leadership and resilience of the local council heads and residents. In recent days, we have been dealing with incidents of violence in the Palestinian theater in a number of sectors, and we are working to restore stability and calm to the southern communities. At the same time, we are fully prepared for the possibility of escalation or expansion of the campaign and are making the necessary preparations."

22:45 - A projectile was fired from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory. An alert was activated in open areas only.

23:59 - A failed attempt to launch a rocket from the Gaza Strip was identified. The rocket exploded inside the Gaza Strip.

Monday (26.4.2021):

03:20 - Sirens sounded in the city of Sderot and in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip.

03:50 - IDF: Following the previous report regarding the sirens which sounded in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip a short while ago, three rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip, two of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome Aerial Defense System. In addition, a failed launch attempt was detected from the Gaza Strip, which landed inside the Gaza Strip.