Hamas fires rockets on Israel city of Ashkelon after warning residents to leave or die

10 October 2023, 17:24 | Updated: 10 October 2023, 18:48

Several explosions have been heard in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon after Hamas warned residents to leave the city on Tuesday.

The armed wing of Hamas, the al Qassam Brigades, said the rockets were launched on Ashkelon, a city of 149,000 eight miles north of the Gaza strip, as a response to the "crime of the enemy".

Israeli armed forces set off their own rockets to intercept the Hamas strikes as part of its 'Iron Dome' defences, and appear to have stopped many from getting through to Ashkelon.

It is unclear if anyone has died in the attack.

Hamas had told people in Ashkelon to leave by 3pm local time (5pm UK time) before it launched the attacks. Local residents who had not evacuated were told to take shelter from the barrage.

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Rockets were also fired from Lebanon into Israel on Monday, with Israel responding.

The Israeli air force said: "Following the initial report regarding launches in northern Israel, approximately 15 rockets were launched from Lebanese territory.

"The IAF aerial defence array successfully intercepted four rocket launches. Ten launches fell in open areas."

It comes as Israel confirmed that 1,000 people had died in Hamas attacks since Saturday. Over 100 have been taken hostage.

Israel responded with an aerial bombardment. Some 830 Palestinians have been killed so far, Gaza officials said. Israel said that it had killed two senior Hamas officials.

Israel has also cut off food, power and water from Gaza, ahead of an expected ground invasion of the densely populated area.

More than 180,00 people in Gaza are thought to have been made homeless.

The head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, said that the group would not negotiate with Israel about returning the hostages until fighting ceases.

"We have informed all parties that contacted us regarding the enemy’s prisoners held by the resistance that this file will not be opened before the end of the battle," he said.

Adding: “And it will only be at a price that the resistance will accept.”

A spokesperson for Hamas' armed also warned that they would "begin executing an Israeli civilian captive in return for any new Israeli bombing of civilians houses without pre-warning".