BICOM

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has responded to fire from both the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights Monday morning in separate incidents.

Israel carried out two airstrikes in the central and southern Gaza Strip in response to two rockets launched at Israel from the Gaza Strip in the last two days. According to IDF figures, around 150 rockets have been fired from Gaza since January, although the latest rocket firing follows several weeks of quiet, following the announcement of a Palestinian reconciliation process with Fatah which includes the two main armed Gaza factions, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Also this morning, Israel fired a precision anti-tank missile at a target inside Syria; in response to mortar fire in the direction of an Israeli military post on Mount Hermon on the Golan Heights. Israel has been keen to avoid getting drawn into the Syrian conflict but has a policy of deterring any side in the Syrian Civil War from firing over the border into Israel. It has periodically responded to firing in Israel’s direction with precision strikes against the source of fire. Fighting between Assad forces and rebel fighters has repeatedly come close to the border, with Assad forces in the area trying to break a rebel siege.

Israeli defence planners broadly expect a deterioration of the security situation in the Golan and the IDF has made preparations to counter a growing threat of terrorism, including with the creation of a new territorial division to boost security.