Islamic jihad / Photo: Depositphotos
On the evening of 26 March 2025, the Islamic Jihad terrorist group announced its involvement in a rocket attack on Israel. According to the group’s representatives, the target of the attack was not the southern Israeli city of Beersheba, as local residents might have assumed, but the nearby Hatzerim airbase, one of the key military facilities of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).
Residents of Be’er Sheva reported hearing explosions in the evening, but no alarms were sounded in the city. The IDF press service noted that the air defence system was used to intercept a rocket launched from the northern part of the Gaza Strip. “The air defence system has launched an anti-missile, and the military is checking the effectiveness of the interception,” the army said in an official statement. There is currently no information on possible casualties or damage.
The Israeli monitoring group that monitors events on the country’s borders reported that the early warning system was activated directly on the territory of the Hatzerim airbase during the attack. This confirms that the target of the attack was a military facility, not the civilian infrastructure of Beersheba.
According to Time Ukraine Israel, citing the Newsru news portal, Islamic Jihad in its official statement stressed that the shelling of the Hatzerim airbase was planned as a response to Israel’s recent actions in the region. The publication notes that the group sought to demonstrate its ability to strike at strategically important targets, despite the active operation of Israeli air defence systems.
“Islamic Jihad, which is recognised as a terrorist organisation by many countries, has repeatedly attempted to attack Israeli territories using rocketry in recent years. The 26 March shelling was another episode of escalating tensions on the border with the Gaza Strip. The Israeli authorities have not yet issued an official response to the group’s statement, but the IDF is expected to step up security measures in the region.
The situation remains tense and residents of the border areas are urged to remain vigilant. Further developments will depend on the outcome of the investigation and possible responses from Israel.
