A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit southern Israel on Monday, prompting Israel Defense Forces to strike several Hamas terror targets in the territory.
Sirens sounded in the Ashkelon region of southern on Monday morning after the rocket was fired from Gaza. An IDF spokesperson confirmed that there was no damage or injuries caused by the rocket, which landed in an open area.
The day also saw an IDF patrol near the border fired upon by Hamas forces.
The IDF said that in response to the attack, it struck numerous Hamas positions in northern and central Gaza, including a naval base near the city of Jabaliya.
As de facto rulers of the Gaza Strip, Israel considers Hamas to be responsible for all activity emanating from the territory.
In total, IDF tanks and aircraft struck six Hamas positions in Gaza, including a naval base near Jabaliya, in the north-west region of the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would not tolerate a “drizzle” of rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip “without a response”.
Prime Minister Netanyahu declared: “I have instructed in no uncertain terms that we will respond to all shooting with heavy fire. That has been my policy over the last two years, since Protective Edge…Our policy is consistent and determined in our response. There is no way that someone can shoot at us and we don’t respond. We cannot constantly absorb (hits) and overlook them”.
IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, stated: “The IDF will not tolerate rocket fire toward civilians and will continue to ensure security and stability in the region”.
The rocket strike from Gaza on Monday came two days after an explosives expert for Hamas’s military wing died in an accidental blast.
Throughout the Operation Protective Edge Gaza conflict of 2014, a total of 5,014 rockets were launched at Israel from the Gaza Strip, and 32 Hamas terror tunnels were uncovered by the IDF.
