2 rockets fired from Gaza Strip hit sea off central Israel coast
The Israel Defense Forces said Saturday morning that two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip toward central Israel.
Large explosions were heard in a number of central Israel cities shortly after 7 a.m.
Video circulating on social media showed an explosion in the sea off the coast of Jaffa.
Hebrew-language media reports said the second rocket landed in the sea off the coast of Palmachim, south of the city of Rishon Lezion.
There were no sirens warning of incoming rockets, in a sign that no projectiles were headed for populated areas. The Iron Dome missile defense system was not activated for the same reason.
Police said there were no reports of injuries or damage.
בצה”ל בודקים דיווחים על נפילת רקטה בים במרכז הארץ | תיעוד@hadasgrinberg @ItayBlumental pic.twitter.com/5SNJRRDvCs
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) January 1, 2022
The rocket fire came during stormy weather — Gaza terror groups have previously said lightening strikes were responsible for setting off projectiles.
It came days after an Israeli civilian was shot on the Gaza border on Wednesday, prompting retaliatory strikes by the IDF.
However, farming activities continued as normal near the Gaza border on Thursday morning, with the IDF lifting a warning it imposed in the wake of the gunfire from the Strip, indicating that the military was not expecting an escalation of violence after the shooting of the Israeli and the IDF’s strikes, which reportedly injured three Gazans.
In the immediate wake of the shooting, the military had ordered farmers to stay away from land near the Gaza border.
The lightly injured Israeli man was a worker for a civilian firm hired by the Defense Ministry for maintenance of the recently completed security barrier separating Israel and the Palestinian enclave.
After the shooting, the IDF said tanks targeted several Hamas outposts in northern Gaza. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said three Palestinians were wounded.
The incidents came during a relatively quiet time and amid intense efforts to reach a stable, long-term ceasefire following a major escalation of violence in May.