The Air Force demolished a tunnel in northern Gaza early on Friday morning. The tunnel, built one kilometer from the Gaza security fence, was to be used by terrorists to infiltrate southern Israel.
Two similar tunnels were demolished in southern Gaza.
The air force mission was both a preventative strike and a response to a rocket attack Thursday. Gaza terrorists had fired a rocket at the Hof Ashkelon region. The rocket did not cause injury or damage, but created panic among residents of the area and visitors, including attendees at a local wedding.
"The IDF will not tolerate any attempt to harm Israeli citizens or soldiers, and will continue to respond with force and determination to attempts to terrorize Israel,” said an IDF statement released after the strikes.
"The IDF sees Hamas as bearing sole responsibility for what happens in Gaza, and for maintaining quiet in the area,” the statement added. Hamas claims that its people have stopped attacking Israel, and that other Gaza-based terrorist groups, such as Fatah and Islamic Jihad, are behind recent rocket attacks.