Air-Raid Sirens Are Going Off In Jerusalem

Jerusalem's air raid siren system began going off at 9:58 PM local time. During Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012, Jerusalem's air raid system was activated in response to an aerial attack for the first time ever, and rockets fired by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas actually hit inside the city. This time around, an attack targeted at Jerusalem also threatens to inflame an already tense confrontation between Israel and Hamas.

The Iron Dome missile defense system apparently intercepted at least a few of the rockets targeted at the city. Rockets reportedly landed on Bethlehem, a Palestinian Authority-controlled town just a few miles from Jerusalem's municipal boundaries.

On a conference call with journalists earlier today, Israel Defense Forces colonel Peter Lerner said that the IDF expected Hamas to strike at heavily-populated areas relatively far from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. "We expect them to launch towards Tel Aviv," Lerner said. "It's something we've taken into consideration during this mission."

Jerusalem has a population of nearly 1 million, and is home to Israel's parliament as well as most of its government ministries - in addition to some of the holiest sites in world religion. Even attempted rocket strikes on Jerusalem could be enough to convince Israeli leaders to ramp up their operation in Gaza - already, the IDF has mobilized tens of thousands of reservists and began building up troops in order to provide the option of a future ground incursion.