BICOM

Israel has carried out a number of strikes on Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip after a rocket landed in southern Israel early yesterday morning.

At about 7am (UK time), a rocket struck an open field in the Hof Ashkelon region, just south of the city of Ashkelon. No injuries or damage was reported, although Haaretz reports that the rocket triggered warning sirens in local communities. In an almost immediate response, an IDF tank fired a shell at a Hamas position in the north western Gaza Strip.

Several hours later, Israeli jets struck three Hamas targets. According to Palestinian media reports, the locations targeted were in Gaza City, Khan Younis and Juhor ad-Dik and one of the targets was a naval base.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “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 Operation Protective Edge… our policy is consistent and determined in our response.”

Later in the day, Israeli soldiers came under small arms fire at the Gaza border, near the Israeli community of Kissufim. A Palestinian man was arrested as he attempted to cross the border into Israel. He was found carrying a knife and a screwdriver.

As a result, Israel responded by firing an additional tank shell at a Hamas target in the central area of the Gaza Strip. Local reports say that artillery fire targeted a Hamas position near Gaza City during the evening.

An IDF statement said that yesterday’s strikes on Hamas targets were a response not only to yesterday’s rocket fire, but to “other incidents from Gaza in the last month”.

Although there has been relative quiet in the Gaza region since Operation Protective Edge in summer 2014, there have been instances of rocket fire. As the de facto ruling power in Gaza, Israel holds Hamas responsible for such activity, even though other groups have often claimed responsibility.