IDF strikes in Gaza after mortar fire
Palestinians report eight people lightly injured in Air Force attack in Strip. Army says bombed terror targets, including tunnel slated to be used to smuggle terrorists into Israel
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that the planes bombed two targets in the Strip and a tunnel in northern Gaza, in response to the firing of mortar shells at Israel on Tuesday.
"The IDF will not tolerate any attempt to target Israel's citizens and the IDF's soldiers, and views Hamas as solely responsible for what is happening in the Gaza Strip and for maintaining the calm in the area," the army said in a statement.
According to the Palestinians, one of the targets was a rocket manufacturing facility. A fire broke out in the place after it was hit by the IAF missile, they said. According to another report, an area near the Jabaliya refugee camp was also bombed.
Sources in the Gaza hospital said two women and two men were lightly injured in the airstrikes.
At the same time, blasts were heard in the Gaza vicinity communities. A frightened resident told Ynet that "the entire city of Netivot is trembling." Another woman said, "Three strong explosions were heard in the past hour. I don't know if they were caused by the IDF's activity in the Strip or by rockets landing without an alert."
4 mortar shells hit Israel
Four mortar shells were fired into Israel from Gaza in two different barrages on Tuesday. The Color Red rocket alert system was sounded at 11 am in Gaza vicinity communities, followed by a loud blast caused by a mortar shell which exploded in a parking lot in the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council.
The first mortar shell damaged one car. A second one landed in a nearby field and damaged a hose. There were no reports of injuries.
About three hours later, the Color Red alert system was activated once again and two more explosions were heard in the area. There were no reports of injuries.
The al-Quds Brigades, the Islamic Jihad's military wing, claimed responsibility, saying the mortars were directed at a military post east of the Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis.
A rocket fired by Palestinian gunmen on Friday hit an open area within the Sdot Negev Regional Council. There were no reports of injuries or damage. The Qassam was launched three days after a Grad barrage from the Strip – the first rockets to be fired into Israel since the start of the popular uprising in Egypt.
A Grad rocket landed near the southern city of Netivot on Tuesday. Four people suffered from shock, and a parked car and a road sustained damage. Several minutes later, another Grad was fired at the town of Ofakim. Later that evening, a third rocket hit an open area in the Eshkol Regional Council.
News agencies contributed to this report
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