IDF spokesman Brigadier-General Ronen Manalis said Thursday that the Islamic Jihad had fired the mortar bombs in the south near Kibbutz Erez.
The spokesman said that terrorists had fired 10-12 mortars towards an IDF position in response to the demolition of a tunnel by the IDF a month ago.
In response to the firing of the mortars, air force planes and tanks attacked four Islamic Jihad and Hamas positions.
Manalis stressed that the IDF response was only the initial response to the shelling adding that "this is a serious attack by the Islamic Jihad at a military position in the northern Gaza strip.