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| Gaza Militants Fire Nearly 100 Rockets and Israel Responds With Airstrikes | Gaza Militants Fire Nearly 100 Rockets and Israel Responds With Airstrikes |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| JERUSALEM — Palestinian militants launched nearly 100 rockets into southern Israel from Gaza on Saturday, and the Israeli military responded with airstrikes and tank fire against Hamas military targets, as tensions along the volatile border boiled over and a fragile cease-fire faltered again. | JERUSALEM — Palestinian militants launched nearly 100 rockets into southern Israel from Gaza on Saturday, and the Israeli military responded with airstrikes and tank fire against Hamas military targets, as tensions along the volatile border boiled over and a fragile cease-fire faltered again. |
| One Palestinian was reported killed in an Israeli strike on Saturday, bringing the total number of Gazans fatally struck by Israeli fire since Friday to five. There were no immediate reports of casualties on the Israeli side. | One Palestinian was reported killed in an Israeli strike on Saturday, bringing the total number of Gazans fatally struck by Israeli fire since Friday to five. There were no immediate reports of casualties on the Israeli side. |
| Saturday’s escalation in violence occurred a day after two Israeli soldiers were wounded by a Gaza sniper and four Palestinians were killed. Two were shot by Israeli forces during Friday’s weekly protest along the fence dividing the Palestinian coastal territory from Israel, according to Gaza health officials. | Saturday’s escalation in violence occurred a day after two Israeli soldiers were wounded by a Gaza sniper and four Palestinians were killed. Two were shot by Israeli forces during Friday’s weekly protest along the fence dividing the Palestinian coastal territory from Israel, according to Gaza health officials. |
| The others, who were identified as Hamas militants, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in retaliation for the sniper attack. | The others, who were identified as Hamas militants, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in retaliation for the sniper attack. |
| Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system intercepted many of the rockets launched from Gaza on Saturday, the military said, and the others landed mostly in open ground. The Israeli military said it struck two rocket launchers from the air, but one rocket struck a house and another landed on the side of a busy highway near the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, the police said. The residents of the house, they said, had escaped injury by taking shelter in a safe room after they heard a warning siren. | Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system intercepted many of the rockets launched from Gaza on Saturday, the military said, and the others landed mostly in open ground. The Israeli military said it struck two rocket launchers from the air, but one rocket struck a house and another landed on the side of a busy highway near the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, the police said. The residents of the house, they said, had escaped injury by taking shelter in a safe room after they heard a warning siren. |
| Some roads and public beaches near Gaza were closed and soccer games scheduled in southern cities were canceled. | Some roads and public beaches near Gaza were closed and soccer games scheduled in southern cities were canceled. |
| Israel had been trying to keep hostilities along the border on a low burner while the country celebrated Passover in April and as it prepared to commemorate its Independence Day and host the Eurovision Song Contest, a major international event beginning on May 14 that is likely to draw thousands of visitors. | Israel had been trying to keep hostilities along the border on a low burner while the country celebrated Passover in April and as it prepared to commemorate its Independence Day and host the Eurovision Song Contest, a major international event beginning on May 14 that is likely to draw thousands of visitors. |
| The Israeli authorities had also been planning to ease travel restrictions for Palestinians during the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which begins in coming days. | The Israeli authorities had also been planning to ease travel restrictions for Palestinians during the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which begins in coming days. |
| Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, who currently also serves as defense minister and is forming a new governing coalition after his victory in the April elections, was expected to consult with his security chiefs later Saturday on the new clashes. | |
| The rocket fire began just hours before a first batch of foreign Eurovision Song Contest entrants appeared at promotional news conferences and held their first rehearsals up the coast in Tel Aviv. The Israeli authorities said there were no restrictions on residents’ activities in the rest of the country. | |
| Israel’s Blue and White party, which leads the parliamentary opposition and is headed by Benny Gantz, a former military chief, said Mr. Netanyahu lacked any consistent security or economic policy for Gaza. It also accused Hamas of “extortion,” suggesting it was purposely raising tensions at a delicate time to wrest concessions from Israel. | |
| Israel’s recent efforts to buy calm in Gaza have included facilitating cash transfers from Qatar. | |
| Since the last round of violence in late March, when a long-range rocket from Gaza struck a house in central Israel and set off a day of cross-border fighting, Egyptian mediators have been working to restore and stabilize the fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas that ended a 50-day war in the summer of 2014. | Since the last round of violence in late March, when a long-range rocket from Gaza struck a house in central Israel and set off a day of cross-border fighting, Egyptian mediators have been working to restore and stabilize the fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas that ended a 50-day war in the summer of 2014. |
| Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls Gaza, has recently made an effort to rein in smaller militant groups and to limit the scope of the border protests. Israel extended the fishing zone of the Gaza coast from 12 nautical miles to 15, the most expansive it has been in years. | Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls Gaza, has recently made an effort to rein in smaller militant groups and to limit the scope of the border protests. Israel extended the fishing zone of the Gaza coast from 12 nautical miles to 15, the most expansive it has been in years. |
| But in a punitive measure after a Gaza rocket struck southern Israel this past week, Israel scaled back the fishing zone to six nautical miles. | But in a punitive measure after a Gaza rocket struck southern Israel this past week, Israel scaled back the fishing zone to six nautical miles. |
| Israel attributed that rocket fire to Islamic Jihad, an Iranian-backed extremist group that sometimes works in concert with Hamas and sometimes challenges its authority. The Israeli military and Islamic Jihad leaders have exchanged threats in recent days, with Islamic Jihad warning in a statement that Israel was “playing with fire.” | Israel attributed that rocket fire to Islamic Jihad, an Iranian-backed extremist group that sometimes works in concert with Hamas and sometimes challenges its authority. The Israeli military and Islamic Jihad leaders have exchanged threats in recent days, with Islamic Jihad warning in a statement that Israel was “playing with fire.” |
| As tensions have risen in recent days and the spring weather has warmed up, Gazans have resumed flying incendiary kites and balloons into Israel with the aim of setting fires. | As tensions have risen in recent days and the spring weather has warmed up, Gazans have resumed flying incendiary kites and balloons into Israel with the aim of setting fires. |