By Zein Khalil
JERUSALEM (AA) – The mayor of the southern Israeli town of Sderot has called for wiping out neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip in case rockets are fired towards Israel.
“If they launch rockets from a certain area, the entire neighborhood must be wiped out,” Alon Davidi told Israeli Army Radio.
“The entire area must be exterminated, and we must work systematically,” he added.
Israeli authorities said Monday that nine rockets had been fired from Gaza into the city, of which five rockets were intercepted.
According to the Israeli army, around 9,500 rockets and drones have been launched towards Israel from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen since Oct. 7.
Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas which Tel Aviv says killed 1,200 people.
At least 24,285 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 61,154 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.
According to the UN, 85% of the population of Gaza is already internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure is damaged or destroyed.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio