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The Palestinian Islamist group claimed it had fired a one-tonne, Iranian-made Fajr 5 rocket at Tel Aviv in what would be a huge escalation.
Tel Aviv was hit on Thursday by at least two rockets
The rocket, which was also claimed by al-Quds brigades, was the farthest that a rocket from Gaza had ever hit inside the occupied territories and came as the air force pressed a major bombing campaign across Gaza.
Israel's sworn enemy Iran, which supports and arms Hamas, condemned the offensive begun by the Israel Defense Forces as "organized terrorism."
"I was standing outside the French ambassador's residence when I saw the rocket falling into the sea," he said.
"There was about a minute between the sirens going off, warning residents to enter the shelters and the rocket landing. People in the street started running in all directions because they didn't know where to shelter," he said.
Israeli news networks said it was the first time rockets had been fired at the city since the 1991 Gulf War, when it was hit by Iraqi Scud missiles.
Israel's Iron Dome interceptor system, which singles out rockets heading for populated areas, shot down 18 rockets in the first hours of day two of Operation Pillars of Defense, it said.
The Palestinian offensive began when a precision Israeli air strike assassinated Hamas military mastermind Ahmed Al-Jaabari, and Israel shelled Gaza from land, air and sea. The 13 killed in Gaza included Jaabari and six Hamas fighters plus six civilians, among them a pregnant woman with twins, an 11-month-old boy and two infants. At least 130 were wounded.
The Hindu : News / International : Iran-made Fajr-5 missile may have targeted Tel Aviv
Has Israel’s Assault on Gaza Made Tel Aviv Vulnerable? | TIME.com
Loud blast rocks Tel Aviv | GulfNews.com