Israel launches strikes on Gaza Strip following rocket attack that wounded seven

Speaking at the White House, Benjamin Netanyahu said he will “not tolerate” the rocket strike, which struck a home in central Israel early Monday and wounded seven people.

“As we speak,” he said, “Israel is responding forcefully to this wanton aggression.”

He said Israel will do “whatever we must do” to defend itself.

The military has started striking Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas’ leader says his group would respond if Israel retaliated too forcefully.

Ismail Haniyeh said in a written statement that the Palestinian people “will not surrender” and its militant factions “will deter the enemy if it exceeds the red lines”.

The Israeli military had earlier reinforced its troops along the Gaza border and calling up reserves after a rocket attack on an Israeli home.

Military spokesman major Mika Lifshitz said two armoured and infantry brigades were being mobilised and that there is a limited drafting of reserves under way following the attack, which destroyed a house and left seven people wounded in central Israel.

She said the military has concluded that Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers fired the rocket from one of their launching pads in the southern part of the coastal strip, near Rafah.

Maj Lifshitz said it was a self-manufactured rocket with a range of about 75 miles.

The rocket destroyed a residential home in the farming community of Mishmeret, north of the city of Kfar Saba, wounding six members of a family.

The Magen David Adom rescue service said it treated seven people overall, including two women who were moderately wounded.

The others, including two children and an infant, had minor wounds.

“It’s a miracle that nobody got killed,” said Assi Dvilanski, a paramedic who was one of the emergency personnel at the scene.