Heavy rocket barrages were fired towards communities in southern Israel Monday evening shortly after the Israeli airforce began striking targets across the Gaza Strip in response to a long-range rocket struck a civilian home in central Israel some 12 hours earlier.
A senior Hamas official, speaking anonymously to Israel Hayom on Tuesday, claimed that the rocket which struck a moshav in central Israel on Monday was ordered by Iran.
1/ WATCH: Explosives hurled tonight during Gaza riots near Israel’s border fence… pic.twitter.com/94xBSS5a7Z— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 24, 2019
Hamas reportedly gave its blessing for the rocket attack in hopes of disrupting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s election campaign.
The rocket attack on Mishmeret, which hit and destroyed a home, left seven family members injured, including two infants, as well as a neighboring child.
He claimed that Iran “went over the heads” of Hamas leadership and ordered an Islamic Jihad cell operating out of the Gaza Strip to carry out the attack.
WATCH: A rocket from Gaza hit this Israeli home at 5:20 this morning. pic.twitter.com/89agEirzP4— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 25, 2019
While senior officials in both Egypt and Gaza confirmed that Iran had ordered the attack, they claimed that the Hamas leadership was aware of the plans to fire a rocket deep into Israeli territory.
This has led to a major escalation of the conflict between Israel and Gaza.
The official claimed that Hamas leaders gave their blessing to the attack.
The senior Hamas official told Israel Hayom that Hamas also hoped the sudden escalation would harm Netanyahu’s chance of remaining in office in next month’s Knesset election on April 9.
The Hamas Al-Aqsa Channel reported that the Egyptians have succeeded in reaching a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip.
The channel quoted an “informed source” as confirming that the cease-fire had been reached, but did not provide further details.