Tel Aviv under fire from Hamas fire which pierces Israel's “iron dome”

Hamas fired rockets into Israel's Tel Aviv area on Sunday for the first time in nearly four months, according to reports.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage in what was apparently the first long-range rocket attack from Gaza since January, the Associated Press reported.

The Israeli military said eight projectiles entered its territory after being launched from the town of Rafah in southern Gaza, where Israeli forces launched an incursion earlier this month.

Israel's war in Gaza erupted after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, in which militants killed some 1,200 people and captured about 250 hostages. About half were released last year during a temporary ceasefire.

Israel's massive air, sea and land offensive has killed nearly 36,000 Palestinians, the AP reports, citing Gaza's health ministry. The bodies of 81 people killed by Israeli strikes were taken to hospitals in the past 24 hours, the ministry said.

The Israeli military said “a number” of projectiles were intercepted by its Iron Dome system, which specializes in shooting down short-range rockets.

Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for launching a “major” missile attack on Tel Aviv on its Telegram channel on Sunday. The statement said the attack was a response to “Zionist massacres against civilians.”

Meanwhile, Tel Aviv police officers used a water cannon to disperse a protest Saturday after thousands gathered to demonstrate against the government and demand it return hostages held by Hamas.

Israel's military action has displaced about 80 percent of Gaza's 2.3 million residents, causing widespread destruction and U.N. officials have warned that parts of the territory are facing famine.

Criticism of Israel's conduct in the war has grown, particularly since it turned its attention to Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have sought refuge after fleeing other areas from Gaza.

The International Court of Justice on Friday ordered Israel to suspend its Rafah offensive. The court also ordered Israel to keep the Rafah crossing open to allow the entry of humanitarian aid, and said Israel must allow war crimes investigators access to Gaza.

The move comes after South Africa filed a complaint against Israel under the UN Genocide Convention, alleging that Israeli military action in Gaza amounted to systematic killing of Palestinians based on their ethnicity. Israel, like the United States, has strongly denied that the military operation in Gaza is genocide.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government said South Africa's accusations of genocide “are false, outrageous and morally repugnant,” adding that the Israeli military has not and will not target civilians.

Updated 5/26/2024, 10:40 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.