Mortar shells likely launched by Hamas struck civilian aid workers sent to the Gaza Strip.
The explosives, which were first reported by Israel's public broadcasting network Wednesday morning, hit a civilian aid convoy coming from Jordan to Kerem Shalom, an area of Israel that borders Gaza. So far, two people have been reported killed in the attack. The full number of casualties is unknown.
Israeli news anchor Eylon Levy called the terrorists who perpetrated the attack "monsters."
"What monsters, having taken two million people hostage, fire mortar shells at a border crossing during the transfer of humanitarian aid?" Levy wrote on Twitter. "The Jordanian aid convoy was supposed to deliver medical equipment. Mortar shelling means Israel is stopping the entry of the aid till further notice."
The attack comes as violence in Gaza escalates. The Iran-backed terror group Hamas has fired more than 3,000 rockets on Israel, indiscriminately targeting civilian areas.
Israel Defense Forces have responded with targeted strikes of areas where they have discovered Hamas operations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that he has "no timeframe" for an end to the now-10-day conflict and that the Israeli military must engage in "forceful deterrence" against Hamas until the threat from the terrorist group diminishes.
The Biden administration has called for a ceasefire and "quiet" diplomacy in response to the attacks, which are the most dangerous Israel has faced since 2014. Congressional Republicans and former Trump administration officials have criticized this response as inadequate.
During the entry of a civilian aid from Jordan into the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing 3 mortar shells were fired by terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip at the crossing area
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) May 19, 2021
What monsters, having taken two million people hostage, fire mortar shells at a border crossing during the transfer of humanitarian aid? #Gaza https://t.co/GzvNWQKAwy
— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) May 19, 2021