Terrorists from the Gaza Strip fired 16 rockets towards Israel overnight Tuesday and early Wednesday morning, prompting the IDF to retaliate with strikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.
Sirens were sounded early Wednesday morning in communities located near the border with the Gaza Strip and in Sderot.
The sirens were sounded, among other places, in Gevim, Ibim, Nir Am and Sapir College. About 20 minutes later, sirens were also sounded in the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council.
The city of Sderot said one of the rockets that were fired landed near a factory. There were no injuries, but the factory sustained damage.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said that in the first barrage, five launches from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory were detected. Four were intercepted by the air defense fighters. In the second barrage, four additional launches from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory were detected and fell in open areas.
Another rocket fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel exploded in an open area near Kibbutz Yad Mordechai. An alert was activated only in the Home Front Command application, due to the fact that the rocket landed in an open area.
Six more rockets were later fired towards Israel for a total of 16 recorded launches.
The IDF attacked targets in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the rocket fire.
According to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, IDF fighter jets bombed a Hamas military compound in the northern Gaza Strip. The compound was used as a terrorist training facility, the army said.
IDF tanks additionally struck Hamas military posts along the border of the Gaza Strip.
The sirens followed violent clashes that broke out at Al-Aqsa Mosque, during an attempt by police officers to evacuate Muslim worshipers who were holed up in the mosque.
The Islamic Jihad terrorist organization said that it is closely monitoring what is happening at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Muslim worshipers who were in the mosque called on the Al-Qassam Brigades to launch rockets towards Israel in response to the incident.
Last month, terrorists fired a rocket from the Gaza Strip which exploded in Gazan territory.
The rocket was fired hours after IDF, Yamam, and Shin Bet forces eliminated four terrorists in Jenin, including Abd al-Fattah Hussein Ibrahim Gharusha, the terrorist who murdered Hallel and Yagel Yaniv in Huwara.