Hamas and other terror groups carried out a joint military drill in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday to send a message to Israel.
The 24-hour exercise began with a barrage of rockets aimed at the Mediterranean Sea from a militant post in the southern town of Rafah. They also flew drones over the area.
According to Israeli media reports, Iran asked the terror groups to conduct the joint exercise to send a message to Israel that any attack would be answered by force on every front, The Jerusalem Post quoted Kan public broadcasters as reporting.
“Even the announcement of the drill itself is a clear message to the Zionist enemy,” said Islamic Jihad spokesman Haytham Abu al-Ghazlan, in an interview with Hamas media.
Twelve factions are expected to participate in the drill, with the main groups being Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Fatah.
A masked spokesman for the so-called Joint Command Room, which represents the 12 militant factions dominated by Hamas, said the drills aim to counter a large-scale Israeli attack.
“These maneuvers simulate the expected enemy threats and aim to raise the efficiency and ability of resistance fighters to fight in various circumstances and times,” the unnamed spokesman said.
“These defensive maneuvers are an affirmation of the readiness of the resistance to defend our people in all cases and under all circumstances, and that the leadership of the resistance is ready to fight any battle to defend our people and our land,” he said.
Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 in a bloody battle against Fatah. Hamas and other groups regularly launch rockets at southern Israel. Most of them are intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system.
Israel has fought three main wars against Gaza since Hamas’ 2007 takeover – in 2008, 2012 and 2014. Israel often responds to the rocket fire by striking targets inside Gaza.
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