Now, however, he is campaigning for re-election on April 9, facing pressure from hawkish right-wing rivals — like Naftali Bennett, the education minister who wants to be defense minister — and a serious challenge from a new party, Blue and White, led by three former army chiefs.

Mr. Bennett, of the New Right party, demanded a plan to “defeat Hamas once and for all.”

“Not more shooting at sand dunes without causing harm to the enemy,” he said, “but time for an uncompromising pursuit and systematic neutralization of Hamas’s leaders.”

The justice minister, Ayelet Shaked, also of the New Right party, added her two cents on Twitter: “Two words — Bennett defense.”

And the leading challenger to Mr. Netanyahu, Benny Gantz of the Blue and White party, who as the army chief led the 2014 Gaza war, urged “a significant and sharp response, otherwise it will be impossible to renew deterrence.”

Hamas said Thursday that it would seek to punish those responsible for the Tel Aviv attack, suggesting that someone in one of the militant groups could have been acting in defiance of orders. In a statement, its military wing said, “We are not responsible for the rockets fired at the enemy tonight.”

Hamas has been in negotiations with Israel, through Egyptian intermediaries, for months, and it said that the rocket attack had occurred while its representatives were meeting with Egypt’s emissaries.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a more militant rival, is said to be impatient with the pace of those talks, and has at times used attacks on Israel to make itself heard. But a spokesman for Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Daoud Shehab, denied it had any role in the attack. “The factions have no intention to escalate,” he said.</s>Israeli military announces strikes on Gaza sites after rocket attack on Tel Aviv

The warplanes could be heard flying overhead in Gaza City, where smoke from the explosions could be seen in the distance.</s>Israeli military launches airstrikes in southern Gaza in response to rocket attack on Tel Aviv

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli military launches airstrikes in southern Gaza in response to rocket attack on Tel Aviv.</s>GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli military launches airstrikes in southern Gaza in response to rocket attack on Tel Aviv.</s>(JTA) – Israel struck dozens of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip in response to the firing of several rockets into the Tel Aviv area.

Sirens alerted residents that rockets were coming into the area just after 9 pm local time on Thursday. Hours later, Israeli aircraft carried out the strikes.

The rockets were fired at Tel Aviv by the Islamic Jihad group, according to Israeli media.

There were no injuries and no damage reported in Israel.

On Friday, Hamas cancelled protests near the border with Israel, which have been taking place on a weekly basis, in a possible attempt to deescalate the situation.

Both Israel and Hamas agreed to cease fire for the time being, according to The Times of Israel.</s>TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Air raid sirens wailed late Thursday throughout Tel Aviv, Israel's densely populated commercial capital, after an apparent rocket attack from the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military said "it appears" that two rockets were launched from Gaza. It would be the first time that Tel Aviv has been targeted by rocket fire since a 2014 war against Gaza militants.

Israel's Channel 10 news, citing anonymous military officials, said the rockets were Iranian-made Fajr rockets. It said one of the rockets landed in an uninhabited area, and that there were no reports of injuries.

In Gaza, there was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Gaza is controlled by Hamas, an Islamic militant group that seeks Israel's destruction. The territory is home to other militant groups, including Islamic Jihad, an Iranian-backed armed organization that also has a formidable rocket arsenal.</s>The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday, after air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv for the first time since summer of 2014, that it had registered launches of two rockets from the Gaza Strip.

An Israeli military spokesman cited by Reuters said the incident was under investigation. Local media reported that several residents had heard sounds similar to those of an explosion.

The press service of the Israel Defence Forces confirmed that the sirens had sounded for the first time since summer 2014. At least two missiles were fired from the Gaza Strip toward the Tel Aviv area, Reuters reported, citing local media. One rocket was intercepted by the anti-missile Iron Dome system, according to media reports.

“Two launches from the Gaza Strip toward Israeli territory were registered”, the IDF press service said in a press release.

Israel’s Channel 10 news said Thursday, citing anonymous military officials, that one of the rockets landed in an uninhabited area, and that there were no reports of injuries.

Tensions between the Israelis and the Palestinians near the fence separating Gaza from Israel have been mounting since last March, which marked the beginning of the Great March of Return. The situation on the Gaza border has reportedly escalated due to continued shelling and launches of arson balloons from Gaza into the Israeli territory, and the shooting and killing of protesters, medics, journalists and children near the border by IDF soldiers.</s>Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi said on Saturday he does not believe an Israel Defense Forces assessment that a pair of rockets fired at Tel Aviv two days earlier was launched by mistake.

“We have not received any explanation for the mistake, but personally I do not believe that it was a mistake,” the top Likud minister said during an onstage interview at a cultural event in the central town of Ra’anana.

In response to the rockets, Israeli war planes hit over 100 Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip overnight Thursday and Friday morning.

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Hanegbi said: “Even for mistakes, if that is indeed what it was, one must pay. We stopped after 100 targets were destroyed, but we have countless other targets if necessary.”

The rockets fired toward Tel Aviv were the first such occurrence since a major conflict in 2014, and did not hit residential areas and caused no direct injury.

An IDF assessment found that the rockets were possibly fired toward the coastal city by mistake, and that low-level Hamas forces were responsible for the launches. It was not clear if the IDF believed it was a technical malfunction or human error.

On Thursday, a Hamas official told The Times of Israel that the terror group “has no interest in an escalation” with Israel. The official said he had “no idea” who fired rockets toward Tel Aviv.

The Hamas-run interior ministry called the rocket fire “outside the national consensus” and said it would exact measures against those behind it.

On Friday, Channel 13 reported that low-level Hamas operatives “messed with” a Gaza beach rocket launcher that was set up to target Tel Aviv in the event of future conflict, causing two Fajr-5 missiles to fire.

News of rocket sirens blaring in Tel Aviv broke as Yahya Sinwar and other Hamas leaders were meeting with an Egyptian delegation trying to mediate eased Israeli economic restrictions on Gaza, the report said.

The Egyptians then called Israeli defense chiefs and relayed they had been told the launch was a mistake. Israel told the Egyptian delegation to leave Gaza — the delegates crossed into Israel at the Erez border crossing — and then began its retaliatory strikes on Hamas targets.

Late Friday morning, Palestinian media and the Kan public broadcaster reported that Israel and Hamas had reached a ceasefire. There was no confirmation from Israel.

Hanegbi also took issue with criticism from political opponents including Blue and White chair and former army chief of staff Benny Gantz and New Right head Naftali Bennett, who said that Israel’s response had not been forceful enough.

“Our response was strong and firm, so when I hear that some are asking for even stronger action, I assume that our strong and powerful attack, which did not lead to casualties, was not enough for them,” he said, suggesting that rivals were judging success by the body count on the Palestinian side.

“We acted in a responsible and reasonable manner. We have no desire to be dragged into war,” Hanegbi added.</s>TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Israeli military said air raid warning sirens were triggered in Tel Aviv on Thursday.

It was not immediately clear if the city was under attack or if a false alarm had set off the sirens.

Tel Aviv has not been attacked by rocket or missile fire since a 2014 war with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.</s>JERUSALEM - The Latest on Israel-Gaza (all times local): The Israeli military says it has begun attacking sites in the Gaza Strip in response to a rocket attack on Tel Aviv. The attacks were taking place in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, about 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of Gaza City. The warplanes could be heard flying overhead in Gaza City, where smoke from the explosions could be seen in the distance.

In a statement early Friday, the army said it was targeting “terror sites.” It gave no further details. Palestinian media said a Hamas naval base had been targeted. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired two rockets toward Tel Aviv late Thursday, the Israeli military said, marking a significant escalation that raised the likelihood of a harsh Israeli reprisal. The rocket barrage triggered air raid sirens across the city, which is Israel’s densely populated commercial and cultural capital. No damage or injuries were reported. But it marked the first time that Tel Aviv, some 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Gaza, has been targeted by rocket fire since a 2014 war with Gaza militants.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rushed to the military headquarters in Tel Aviv and was conferring with senior army officials about a response. In Gaza, there was no immediate claim of responsibility. Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis, the Israeli army’s chief spokesman, said officials had no prior warning of the attack and were trying to determine who fired the rockets. Israel holds Gaza’s Hamas rulers responsible for all fire out of the territory. Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said he had ordered the city to open public air raid shelters as a protective measure. But he said there were no special instructions and encouraged residents to stick to their daily routines. “Continue life as usual,” he told Channel 10 TV. “Be calm, but be alert.” Gaza is controlled by Hamas, an Islamic militant group that seeks Israel’s destruction. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since Hamas sized control of Gaza in 2007. Hamas possesses a big arsenal of rockets and missiles, but it has sought to contain violence with Israel since the last war in 2014. Hamas denied responsibility for the attack on Tel Aviv, saying the rockets were launched when the group’s military wing was meeting with Egyptian mediators to try to strengthen a cease-fire between Gaza militants and Israel. In an unusual step that indicated Hamas was attempting to prevent further escalation, the Hamas Interior Ministry said the rocket fire went “against the national consensus” and promised to take action against the perpetuators.
In response to a possible accidental launching of two rockets from the Gaza Strip towards Tel Aviv the day before, Israel launches hundreds of counter strikes directed at the town of Khan Yunis.