Residents in towns and cities in southern, central and parts of northern Israel hurried for shelter as rocket fire from Gaza continued yesterday. Israel continued to strike targets in the Gaza Strip by air as it attempts to quell the rocket fire.

Over 130 rockets from Gaza were fired at Israel yesterday, one of which critically injured a teenager in Ashkelon who was struck by shrapnel. The Iron Dome anti-missile system continued to perform with success, intercepting a reported 12 missiles, including those heading for Tel Aviv and Ashdod. Meanwhile, this morning, a barrage of rockets aimed at Sderot and other Israeli communities near the Gaza border was shot down. Ashkelon was also targeted this morning. According to the IDF, since Tuesday morning, more than 950 rockets have been fired at Israel. Amidst the rocket fire, the IDF emphasised that border crossings have remained open throughout the conflict for essential supplies into Gaza and that 70 trucks entered from Israel yesterday.

Meanwhile, Operation Protective Edge entered its seventh day this morning. Army Radio says that Israel hit 75 targets during the night from the air, including three Hamas training facilities and other strategically important locations. However, the Palestinian Health Ministry said that 13 people were killed and 25 injured across Gaza yesterday, among them women and children. Also yesterday, thousands of residents of the northern Gaza Strip left their homes following warnings from Israel via text message and leaflets of potentially imminent military action in the area. The Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry called for residents to ignore the warnings.

Early yesterday morning, the first ground skirmish of the campaign took place as Israeli naval commandos clashed with Hamas fighters on a northern Gaza beach. The Israeli forces raided a facility used to fire long-range rockets, which according to the IDF was “hit and damaged.” During the reported two-hour battle, four Israeli commandos were lightly wounded while Hamas forces also took casualties.