Tel Aviv [Israel] : The head of the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council, Ofir Liebstein, was killed in the deadly rocket fire from Hamas into Israel on Saturday morning, The Times of Israel reported, citing local sources. "Ofir was killed when he went to defend a town during the terrorist attack," the report said, quoting a statement from the Council.
The deputy head of the Council, Yossi Keren, has taken interim charge of the body following Liebstein's death, The Times of Israel reported. According to the latest reports, at least 5 people have been killed and over 100 injured in the Hamas rocket fire. The centre and south of Israel came under heavy rocket fire for over 3.5 hours on Saturday morning, The Times of Israel reported.
Further, Hamas claimed to have kidnapped five Israel Defence Force (IDF) soldiers, The Jerusalem Post reported, adding that the IDF did not confirm the statement. After the attack, the IDF launched retaliatory strikes on the Gaza Strip. However, according to The Jerusalem Post, while the IDF launched retaliatory operations in the Gaza Strip, Israeli action remained minimal even two hours after the rocket attacks started.