Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, campaigning for his party's primary, was evacuated Wednesday evening December 25 from an election rally in Ashkelon, southern Israel, following the announcement of imminent rocket fire from the Strip from Gaza.
According to a video broadcast by the public television channel Kan 11, a security agent approaches Mr. Netanyahu and informs him of a " Red alert ". The Prime Minister then greeted the assembly, which was made up of over 100 voters who were members of Likud, before being evacuated with his wife, Sara.
"A projectile was fired from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory and was intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system"said the army in a short statement, adding that the sirens sounded in particular in the town of Ashkelon, where the meeting of Netanyahu was held.
In September, the head of the Likud, then on the campaign trail for the legislative elections, had already been evacuated from a rally in the city of Ashdod, when sirens announced rocket attacks.
In reprisal, the Israeli air force carried out strikes against "Several Hamas terrorist targets" in the Gaza Strip, of which "Military posts", in the night from Wednesday to Thursday.
Already two rocket hits last week
Likud members are expected to elect their new leader on Thursday as part of a primary called for by Prime Minister’s main rival Gideon Saar, determined to take his place.
Israel will hold its third election on March 2 in less than a year in hopes of ending the worst political crisis in its history, with party leaders leading the way in the latest ballot – Likud and rival Bleu Blanc – unable to agree on the formation of a coalition government.
On December 19 and 20, two rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israel, leaving no casualties, the army said. In response, the Israeli air force bombed twice installations of Hamas, which runs the Palestinian enclave. Israel holds the Islamist movement responsible for all rocket fire from its territory, even though the Hebrew state also targets other Palestinian armed movements there.
Since 2008, Israel has waged three wars against Hamas and allied armed groups in Gaza, where two million Palestinians live in conflict, poverty and an Israeli blockade imposed for more than a decade.
