Hamas launches fresh attack on Tel Aviv for first time in months

Rocket sirens sounded across central Israel on May 26, including the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, as Hamas militants in Gaza launched a series of rockets. This marks the first such attack on Tel Aviv in four months.

The al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's armed wing, claimed responsibility for what they described as a "massive missile strike" on Tel Aviv. Despite the barrage, Israeli emergency services reported no casualties.

The Israeli military confirmed that rocket alert sirens were activated in Tel Aviv and other central cities following the launches from Gaza. Reports indicate that at least eight rockets were fired, with several intercepted by Israeli air defenses.

This escalation comes amid rising tensions and an ongoing Israeli military operation near the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Earlier on Sunday, five Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes in Rafah, according to Gaza's health ministry.

Israel stated that the operation in Rafah targets Hamas militants and aims to free Israeli civilians allegedly held hostage in the area. However, the offensive has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis and drawn international criticism over civilian casualties.

The missile attack on Israel occurred shortly after a new convoy of aid trucks entered Gaza from southern Israel under a recent agreement designed to bypass the Rafah crossing, which has been blocked for weeks. An interim deal brokered by the U.S. and Egypt allowed aid to enter via the Rafah border crossing, which had been closed for weeks.

This is the first major rocket attack from Gaza into Israel's heartland since hostilities escalated last October. Gaza authorities report that over 36,000 Palestinians have been injured amid the ongoing conflict.