Rocket fired from Gaza at southern Israel, amid high tensions
Terrorists in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket toward Israeli communities north of the enclave on Tuesday night, the IDF said.
There were no immediate reports of impact in populated areas, indicating the projectile struck an open field.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service said no injuries were reported.
The rocket triggered sirens in the city of Ashkelon, north of Gaza, and in the nearby community of Kibbutz Zikim on Tuesday night, sending tens of thousands of people to bomb shelters.
The rocket attack was the second of the week, and came amid rising tensions between Israel and terror groups in the Gaza Strip.
On Sunday, terrorists in the Strip fired two rockets at southern Israel, both of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.
Fragments of an Iron Dome interceptor struck outside a home in the town of Sderot, causing damage to the structure and lightly injuring a 58-year-old man.
Over the past week, terrorists in the enclave have again begun launching balloon-borne incendiary and explosive devices into southern Israel, sparking dozens of fires that caused environmental and property damage in the region.
On Tuesday, Gaza officials announced that the Strip’s sole power station had run out of fuel and would stop operating. Israel on Thursday cut off fuel transfers via the Kerem Hashalom crossing as a punitive measure following the rocket ad balloon attacks.
Earlier Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would respond to airborne arson attacks in the same manner it does rocket attacks, and warned that there could be another major flareup.
“I regret that we are also preparing, to the extent necessary, for the possibility of a round or rounds. I hope that we will not get there,” he told local leaders of Gaza-area communities.