Israel News for 3-15-19
Rockets Fired at TA
Last night 2 rockets were fired at Tel Aviv from Gaza. Sirens were sounded in Tel Aviv and the Iron Dome missile defense system was activated, but it was not fired, as the rockets fell in uninhabited areas causing no damage or injury.
Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad denied responsibility for the rocket attack. Hamas is currently engaged in talks with Egypt regarding a long-term ceasefire with Israel. The IDF said it considers Hamas responsible for any attacks from Gaza.
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Israel Responds
Despite the IDF’s assessment that the rockets fired at Tel aviv last night were done so in error, Israeli aircraft attacked over 100 Hamas targets in Gaza. Targets included an office complex in Gaza City, an underground complex that served as Hamas’ main rocket-manufacturing site, and a center used for a Hamas drone program. No one was killed in the attacks.
The Hamas Interior Ministry said, “We are following up on the firing of rockets from Gaza against the national consensus and the ministry will take measures against the violators.”
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Syrian Missiles
Israeli intelligence has taken satellite images confirming the construction of a new missile factory in the Syrian coastal city of Safita.
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No Occupied
The US State Department changed its usual description of the Golan Heights from “Israeli-occupied” to “Israeli-controlled” in an annual global human rights report released by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday. A separate section on the West Bank and Gaza Strip also did not refer to those territories as being “occupied” or under “occupation.” State Department officials insist that the change in language does not reflect any policy change.
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Exxon to Israel
Exxon Mobil Corp, the world’s largest publicly traded oil company, is reportedly considering exploring for oil and gas offshore from Israel. Exxon executives held talks with Israeli Minister for National Infrastructures, Energy and Water Resources Yuval Steinitz in Houston this week about bidding for the right to explore and pump oil from offshore blocks in an auction that Israel will hold in June.
Exxon recently acquired a $50,000 data package from the Israeli energy ministry for the auction and an Exxon team visited a data center set up by the ministry in Jerusalem.
Major US and international oil companies have avoided investing in Israel, for fear of antagonizing the governments of giant regional oil and gas producers such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq.
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