On 7 July, the Israeli military launched Operation Protective Edge against Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. The operation was initiated in response to repeated rocket, mortar and missile fire into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip since mid-June. The initial stages of the operation included multiple air and naval-based strikes against militant positions across the Palestinian enclave. The Israel Defence Force (IDF) has also deployed additional forces to the Gaza Strip border and mobilized thousands of reserves. These measures combined with statements from the prime minister's office indicate that Israel is preparing for ground operations in the Gaza Strip.
The initiation of the wide ranging Israeli offensive has led militants in the Gaza Strip, including the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigade of Hamas, the Al-Quds Brigade of Islamic Jihad, the al-Nassar Salah al-Din Brigades of the Popular Resistance Committees and the National Resistance Brigades of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine to increase rocket fire into southern Israel and to deploy its longer range rocket and missile fire. These longer range projectiles have the capacity to reach Haifa in the far north and have already struck targets near Tel Aviv, Hadera and Jerusalem. The fighting has left dozens of Palestinians dead and wounded while only a handful of Israelis have been wounded, the majority of whom are based near the immediate border between Gaza and Israel.
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