(Communicated by the IDF Spokesperson)
In response to the incessant rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip - more than 700 have struck Israel since the beginning of the year, and more than 120 since Saturday - the IDF has launched a widespread campaign against terror targets in Gaza. The operation, called Pillar of Defense, has two main goals: to protect Israeli civilians and to cripple the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza.
Rocket and mortar attacks: 2001-2012

Click to enlarge - Source: IDF
Rocket range from Gaza.
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At 16:30, the IDF targeted Ahmed Jabari, the head of Hamas military wing in the Gaza Strip. Jabari was a senior Hamas operative who served in the upper echelon of the Hamas command and was directly responsible for executing terror attacks against Israel.