At least 36 rockets were launched into Israel starting Friday night,
with most landing in open territory.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi has postponed a scheduled trip to the United States after Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip launched dozens of rockets into Israel over the weekend, significantly escalating tensions between Hamas and Jerusalem.

Takeoff for the trip, which would have marked Kochavi’s first since becoming the IDF’s top general, was scheduled for Sunday.

Kochavi was set to meet top US defense officials, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, with Iran’s nuclear program and its threat for the entire region at the top of the agenda.

But starting in the late hours of Friday night, communities in the south were greeted with a cacophony of red alert sirens after Palestinian militants began launching projectiles into Israeli territory.

The IDF said later Saturday morning that at least 36 rockets were fired in total during multiple overnight salvos, with most landing in open uninhabited terrain. At least six were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

In response, the military said it successfully targeted rocket launchers and underground infrastructure belonging to the Gaza-based terror organization.

No casualties were reported on either side of the skirmishes.

This new escalation in hostilities comes days after numerous clashes have broken out in Jerusalem and the West Bank involving Palestinian and Israeli civilians as well as Israeli security forces.

(i24 News).