Nadene Goldfoot
Ashkelon, a city in southern Israel approximately 12 miles (19 km) north of Gaza, has been significantly affected by the conflict.
- Hamas Attacks: Hamas has launched numerous rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip towards southern Israel, including Ashkelon.This happened on October 11, 2023 to Ashkelon's building
- Damage and Casualties: These attacks have caused damage to infrastructure and property in Ashkelon, including residential buildings.
- Barzelai Medical Center
- Barzilai Medical Center is a 600-bed district general hospital in Ashkelon, Israel opened in 1961. The hospital serves a population of 500,000, including a large number of Ethiopian and Russian immigrants, and has more than 100,000 admissions annually. Situated six miles from Gaza, the hospital has been the target of numerous Qassam and Grad rocket attacks, sometimes as many as 140 in one weekend. Aftermath of a Hamas rocket hit on the maternity ward of Barzilai Medical Center on 8 October 2023
- The hospital plays a vital role in treating wounded soldiers and terror victims. They've had to go to the basement of the building for surgery, etc. due to constant bombing. Aiming at Israel from Gaza
- As the Washington Post reports, Israel’s military said Hamas fired over 180 rocket and mortar rounds from Gaza into Israel this week; at least 11 people were injured. In response, Israel unleashed punishing airstrikes on Gaza targets, killing three Palestinians.
- There have also been reports of injuries, both directly from rocket impacts and from individuals running to shelters or suffering from anxiety.
- Israeli Military Response: Israel has responded to the attacks with airstrikes and military operations in Gaza. The Iron Dome air defense system is actively used to intercept rockets aimed at Israeli cities, including Ashkelon.
- Impact on Residents: The constant threat of rocket fire has created a tense and dangerous environment in Ashkelon, leading some residents to flee and others to live under a constant state of alert. The city has been described as a "ghost town" at times due to the disruption and fear caused by the conflict.
- Ongoing Conflict: Rocket attacks from Gaza continue periodically, although less frequently than at the peak of the conflict. The situation remains volatile and dangerous, with both sides continuing military actions.
- Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade
- The Ashkelon rocket attacks were a series of rocket attacks from Gaza initiated by the ISIL affiliate Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade in 2015, 8 years before the fateful day of October 7th, 2023.
- This current round of violence continues four months of bloodshed in Gaza: Since March, 2018, Israeli forces have killed over 160 Palestinians. Most of those killed have been part of protests against the border, including “The Great March of Return,” a movement in support of Palestinian refugees trying to return to their homes in what is now Israel.
- Government Offers and Forced Expulsion: While the Israeli government did offer "positive inducements" for Palestinians to leave, including a favorable currency exchange, there were also actions taken that caused panic, such as night-time raids. The expulsion of the remaining Palestinians was explicitly ordered by General Yigal Allon, although initially local commanders did not carry it out. The deportations were eventually approved by Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and Moshe Dayan, despite objections from some within the government and labor unions. (So we had had local commanders, government officials and labor unions against moving out the Arabs to make room for Jewish immigrants.)
After the first rocket attacks on June 2 and 7 by Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade, they claimed responsibility for another attack on June 11 however Israeli intelligence asserts the June 11th attack was actually carried out by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
In July one rocket was fired into Hof Ashkelon from Gaza and exploded, Israel soon after launched airstrikes targeting Hamas.
There were no attacks on Ashkelon or in Hof Ashkelon in August, however in September 2015 attacks resumed. On September 18 a rocket exploded in Sderot which damaged a house and a bus. Later on the same day a rocket fired from Gaza was intercepted by Iron Dome over Ashkelon. On September 21 Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade fired a Grad rocket into Ashkelon.
The Omar Hadid Brigade goals have consistently matched those of the Islamic State, in that it seeks to establish the al-Sham caliphate. As such, it opposes all forms of Palestinian nationalism while also supporting the elimination of all Jews and other "infidels" from the region.
The Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade (سرية الشيخ عمر حديد) is a Salafi-jihadi group that emerged in Gaza in 2015. The group is named after an Iraqi member of Al-Qaeda in Iraq killed in Fallujah (Iraq). The group fired rockets at Israel several times in 2015, prompting a series of raids against its leadership by Hamas. Since then, the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade has disappeared.
On June 6 the Israeli Airforce carried out airstrikes targeting Hamas. After the June 11 rocket attack on June 23 rockets were fired into Hof Ashkelon and soon after the Israeli Airforce conducted another airstrike. Five days later on June 28 sirens sounded around Hof Ashkelon and another rocket was fired.
Recent Rocket Attack on Ashkelon
10 rockets from Gaza fired into Southern Israel which includes Ashkelon by Hamas from Gaza. A Man lightly injured by shrapnel from hit in Ashkelon; IDF says only 5 rockets intercepted by air defenses; Netanyahu, en route to the US, instructs Katz to respond harshly. It was the largest such barrage in months. At least one of the other five hit Ashkelon, causing damage. A 30-year-old man was lightly injured by shrapnel, and taken to the city’s Barzilai Hospital for treatment. The Magen David Adom emergency services said that two other people were hurt while running to shelters, while several people were treated for acute anxiety following the attack. Footage posted to social media showed the moment of impact in Ashkelon, with the rocket appearing to strike near several high-rise apartment buildings. Home Front Command officers were operating at the sites of rocket impacts, the military said.
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