IDF says Gazan rockets misfiring with increasing frequency

The Israel Defense Forces says it has seen an uptick in failed rocket launches from the Gaza Strip by the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups.

The military publishes a graph claiming that yesterday, 12.71% of rockets launched from Gaza fell short in the Strip.

It also attaches a map showing the approximate impact locations of the failed rockets.

The IDF has said some 450 rockets have failed and fallen short in Gaza since the fighting began on October 7. Thousands more have made it across the border into Israel.

The military also accuses Hamas and Islamic Jihad of launching their rockets from urban areas, including “hospitals, UN schools, mosques, restaurants, diplomatic buildings, and hotels.”

מגמת עלייה בשיגורים הכושלים מרצועת עזה; ארגון הטרור חמאס ממשיך להציב את אזרחי רצועת עזה כמגן אנושי ולהשתמש במתחמים אזרחים רגישים לשימושים צבאיים:

מתחילת הלחימה, ארגון הטרור חמאס משגר מטחי רקטות על בסיס קבוע ומשתמש במתחמים אזרחים רגישים לשימושים צבאיים >> pic.twitter.com/rmDmVlB064

— דובר צה״ל אפי דפרין – Effie Defrin (@IDFSpokesperson) October 18, 2023

“The Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations fire rockets indiscriminately at Israeli civilians, these rockets have also been causing harm to civilians in the Gaza Strip,” the IDF says.

Noting the apparent increase in failed rockets yesterday, the IDF says “Hamas is continuing to use the residents of the Gaza Strip as human shields, and does not hesitate to risk the lives of Gazan civilians to shield their attacks.”