A rocket fired from Gaza exploded in the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council area in the northwestern Negev late Thursday afternoon.
'Color Red' warning sirens were heard before the blast in the Regional Council area and in Sderot, a town near Gaza which has often come in for rocket fire from terrorists in the Hamas-enclave.
Residents of the area reported hearing the explosion after the siren, reports Yedioth Aharonoth.
IDF forces searched the area to locate the point of impact, only to find that the rocket fell in open territory, causing no injuries or damage.
Earlier on Thursday five Hamas terrorists were killed in an explosion that occurred in a terror tunnel in Gaza. The blast took place to the east of Gaza City, close to the security fence, in what apparently was an explosive attack on the fence gone awry.
The incident, and the latest rocket fire, come as the IDF placed Iron Dome anti-missile defense units on the coastal region near Ashdod and Tel Aviv on Wednesday, in anticipation that terror activity from Gaza may flare up soon.
The IDF noted that the Gaza-based Hamas terrorists may launch a missile barrage to support the Hamas terrorists in Judea and Samaria who kidnapped three Israeli teens last Thursday. The IDF is currently in the midst of a massive operation to rescue the three, aiming concurrently at destroying the Hamas terror infrastructure in the region.
Gaza terrorists launched rockets at Israel on Wednesday, prompting an IAF airstrike on terror targets in retaliation. The rocket attack is the latest in a trickle of missiles, which have been regularly pouring in since the kidnapping last week.