March26,2019

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington, DC on March 24 for a four-day visit. On March 25th, a house in central Israel was destroyed by a rocket attack. Netanyahu said that after meeting with President Trump in the White House, he would shorten his visit and return to his country immediately.

Israel’s Tel Aviv area was attacked by rockets on March 25, with seven people killed. Israel immediately conducted dozens of air strikes against Hamas’ secret military intelligence headquarters in Gaza. The Israeli military said that Hamas fired rockets from 120 kilometers (75 miles) away. General Ronen Manelis of Israel told Ynet News "I think that Hamas understands this is a significant strike [following] a serious incident, and ultimately, this is a price that Hamas has been accruing for the past year." A Palestinian security official revealed on the 25th that Israeli warplanes attacked the entire coast. Palestinian radio stations and Hamas television stations later broadcast a song calling for resistance to Israel.

When meeting with US President Trump at the White House, Netanyahu said he would do everything to defend the Israeli people and the country. President Trump condemned the rocket attack from Gaza. He told reporters that Israel had absolute rights to defend itself. On March 25th, Fawzi Barhoum, the spokesperson for Hamas, said that Egypt has stepped in to arrange a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, but Israel has not commented on this.