The Israeli military sounded sirens in Tel Aviv for the first time in months on Sunday, warning of possible incoming rockets after Hamas’ military wing announced it had launched a fresh attack on the city.
Al-Qassam Brigades announced it was bombing the city with a large missile barrage in response to what it called the “Zionist massacres against civilians.”
The Israel Defense Forces said eight projectiles were identified crossing from the area of Rafah into Israeli territory, and that a number of projectiles were intercepted by the IDF Aerial Defense Array.
An NBC News journalist witnessed at least one rocket be intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage in the area.
Earlier, aid trucks entered Gaza through southern Israel as part of a new agreement to bypass the Rafah crossing with Egypt, after Israel seized the Palestinian side earlier in May.
The International Court of Justice on Friday ordered Israel to immediately halt its military assault on Rafah, the city in southern Gaza where more than 1 million people had sought refuge in dire conditions.
A spokesman for Hamas’ armed wing said on Sunday its fighters had captured Israeli soldiers during fighting in Jabalia in northern Gaza on Saturday.
Hamas released a video that appeared to show a bloodied body being dragged along the floor of a tunnel. The video could not be verified by NBC, and the Israeli military has denied the claim.
“There is no incident in which a soldier was abducted,” the IDF said in a statement.
CORRECTION (May 26, 2024, 9:47 a.m. ET): A previous version of this article misidentified Tel Aviv as the capital of Israel.
