The head of the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council, Ofir Liebstein, was tragically killed in a Hamas rocket attack on Israel on Saturday morning, as reported by The Times of Israel, citing local sources.
“Ofir was killed when he went to defend a town during the attack,” the report said, quoting a statement from the Council.
Following Liebstein’s untimely death, Yossi Keren, the deputy head of the Council, has taken interim charge of the body, according to The Times of Israel.
The Hamas rocket attack resulted in at least five casualties and over 100 injuries. The central and southern regions of Israel were subjected to heavy rocket fire for over 3.5 hours on Saturday morning.
Hamas also claimed to have captured five Israel Defence Force (IDF) soldiers, although the IDF did not confirm this statement. In response to the attack, the IDF launched retaliatory strikes on the Gaza Strip.
Despite the retaliatory operations, Israeli action remained minimal even two hours after the rocket attacks began, as reported by The Jerusalem Post.
Hamas reportedly holds 33 prisoners of war, including civilians and soldiers. Israel’s Security Cabinet is set to convene to assess the situation, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with opposition leader Yair Lapid following the security meeting.
Israel Defence Minister Yoav Gallant approved the draft of reserve soldiers as per the IDF’s requirements and declared a “special security situation” in Israel’s Homefront, within a 0-80 km radius of the Gaza Strip. This designation enables the IDF to provide safety instructions to civilians at close and relevant locations.
The IDF has held Hamas responsible for the attack and stated that the group will bear the consequences and responsibility for the events. At least one rocket directly hit a building in the Gederot Regional Council, resulting in the death of a woman in her 60s, according to reports.
