Senior Israeli Minister Says Israel May Have to Go to War in Gaza After Tense Weekend

• Senior Israeli Minister Says Israel May Have to Go to War in Gaza After Tense Weekend
  by Jack Khoury and Amos Harel, https://www.haaretz.com/
  Yuval Steinitz says Israel might be forced to set out on a ground operation, which will ‘come at a price’ ■ Hamas leader says no talks are held with Jerusalem because of Israeli political deadlock
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  Israeli Energy Minister and security cabinet member Yuval Steinitz said on Sunday that in light of the uptick in tensions between Israel and Hamas along the border with the Gaza Strip, he believes that Israel will have to set out on a military campaign in the coastal enclave.
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  “We hoped to reach an agreement before a large military operation, and as it seems right now, we may have to set out on a big army operation and only then reach an agreement,” Steinitz said in an interview with Army Radio. 
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  “If there is no choice and we want to destroy the Hamas regime, it will have to be a ground operation, and this comes at a price,” he added. Steinitz’s comments come after a tense weekend during which 10 rockets were launched at Israel from the Strip on Friday evening. The Israeli military said that the Iron Dome missile defense system had intercepted eight of the rockets.
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  In retaliation, the Israeli army struck a wide range of Hamas targets throughout the Strip. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported one dead in the strikes, and identified him as the 27-year-old Ahmad Muhammad al-Shakhri. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, he died of his wounds after being critically injured in an Israeli strike west of Khan Yunis. Two others were wounded in the strike, and transferred to Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis, the ministry said.
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  While no casualties were caused in Israel by the rockets, one woman was lightly injured from rocket shrapnel as she ran for shelter in the southern city of Sderot. A house in the city was also hit by shrapnel. 
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