Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was evacuated from a campaign event after a rocket attack near the Gaza Strip was reported on Christmas Day.
Netanyahu, 70, was at a campaign rally in Ashkelon, which is about 8 miles from Gaza, when sirens meant to warn people of an impending rocket went off. He was rushed to a nearby shelter, the Times of Israel reported. The Israeli military reported that the Iron Dome intercepted the rocket and that no one was hurt in Wednesday’s attack.
The prime minister returned to the rally after about 15 minutes and issued a warning to the perpetrators behind the rocket fire. He said, “The person who fired the rocket last time is no longer with us. The person who did it this time should start packing their things.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu evacuated from campaign event after rocket fired from Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military said its air defense system, known as Iron Dome, intercepted the rocket. There were no reports of casualties. https://t.co/0LCmYdu6Ya pic.twitter.com/c1R8vgLkng
— ABC News (@ABC) December 26, 2019
Netanyahu, who was indicted for fraud, bribery, and breach of trust last month, was referring to Baha Abu al Ata, a Palestinian terrorist leader who was assassinated last month. Israeli forces suspected he was behind the September rocket fire that also resulted in Netanyahu having to be evacuated from a similar event.
Gideon Sa’ar, Netanyahu’s challenger in Thursday’s primary elections for the Likud Party, called for a “broad national consensus for dismantling the military infrastructure” of Hamas. Israel is preparing for its third election this year after its parliament failed to form a governing coalition after the last two.
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