The Israel Air Force bombed terrorist targets in Rafiah and central Gaza Tuesday evening after terrorists fired a Grad rocket on Ashkelon in the morning.
Aerial missiles struck one car occupied by terrorists in Rafiah, smuggling tunnels in the area and a Hamas base near Khan Yunis in south-central Gaza, next to the sites of Jewish communities that the government destroyed more than three years ago.
The strike came a short time after Defense Minister Ehud Barak told the Herzliya Conference that Israel would not allow rocket attacks on Israel to go unanswered. "There is a necessity to retaliate, and we have to do so. If we have to strike stronger, we will do so," he declared.
"As we speak now, the Air Force is acting in Gaza."
The IDF earlier in the day warned Rafiah residents, through automatic telephone messages, to stay clear of areas used by terrorists. Previous aerial attacks have concentrated on smuggling tunnels, Hamas outposts and weapons depots.