Illustrative image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on January 12 that it had destroyed hundreds of rocket launches of the Hamas Movement since the start of ground operations in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, the IDF said ground troops seized hundreds of rockets, including long-range projectiles, and located many launchers.
Together, Israeli ground troops and the Israeli Air Force (IAF) have destroyed more than 700 rocket launchers of Hamas, it added.
In video footage released by the IDF, the IAF’s intelligence-gathering 100th Squadron is seen spotting Hamas firing rockets from an alleged school and mosque in Gaza. The launchers are then struck by the air force. The IDF said that Hamas “deliberately” places its launchers and fires rockets from civilian buildings in Gaza.
There has been a significant drop in the rate of rocket fire from Gaza in recent weeks, mainly as a result of the Israeli occupation of large parts of the Strip.
Earlier this week, the IDF released video footage showing what it claimed to be a Hamas long-range rocket factory that was uncovered by its troops during recent operations in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.
Despite their limited resources, Hamas and other armed factions in Gaza managed to build a large arsenal of rockets, including projectiles with a range of more than 200 kilometers. The ongoing Israeli war on the Strip may have damaged these capabilities, however, only for the short term as the Palestinians will likely adapt and rebuild.
