Fresh attack on Tel Aviv as Israel bombards Gaza Strip
Israel's Iron Dome system intercepted a third strike in as many days on Tel Aviv. This conflict marks the first time Hamas rockets have reached Israel's two largest cities.
Tel Aviv, Israel
A revolutionary Israeli rocket-defense system knocked down an incoming rocket fired by Gaza militants over the skies of this bustling metropolis on Saturday, eliciting cheers from relieved residents huddled in fear.
The new attack — the third on Tel Aviv in as many days — comes after Israel said it had bombarded the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip with nearly 200 airstrikes earlier Saturday, widening a blistering assault on Gaza rocket operations to include the prime minister's headquarters, a police compound and a vast network of smuggling tunnels.
The interception provided a psychological boost for Israel, which has been bombarded by hundreds of rockets since it launched a military offensive Wednesday against the Hamas Islamic militant group in the Gaza Strip.
AP Television News footage showed a plume of smoke rising from an "Iron Dome" rocket-defense battery deployed near the city, followed by a burst of light overhead. The smoke trailed the intercepting missile.
