7 Oct 2023<br /><br /> <br /><br />Israel’s military has launched air strikes on Gaza in response to a barrage of more than 2,000 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip that killed at least 22 Israelis and wounded hundreds.<br /><br />“Dozens of IDF fighter jets are currently striking a number of targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation in the Gaza Strip,” the Israeli military said.<br /><br />Hundreds of residents fled their homes in eastern Gaza to move away from the border with Israel.<br /><br />Men, women and children were seen carrying blankets and food as they fled, mostly in the northeastern part of the territory.<br /><br />The latest escalation comes against a backdrop of surging violence between Israel and Palestinian fighters in the West Bank, which is part of territory illegally occupied by Israel, and the blockaded Gaza Strip.<br /><br />It also comes at a time of political upheaval in Israel, which has been riven by deep divisions over moves to overhaul the judiciary, and as Washington works to strike a deal that would normalise ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
