A rocket that was fired from Gaza exploded overnight Sunday, around 4:00 a.m., in the Hof Ashkelon region of southern Israel. The rocket exploded in an open region, causing no physical injuries or damages. According to the IDF, the “Red Alert” incoming rocket siren did not sound in nearby communities because the rocket was headed towards an open region. This is the third time since Friday that rockets have been fired from Gaza towards southern Israel. In the first attack, a rocket landed near a home and hit a parked bus in the town of Sderot. In the second attack, the IDF reports two rockets were shot down by the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system over the coastal city of Ashkelon. Following the two attacks, the IDF retaliated by striking a base belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in northern Gaza. IDF warplanes bombed a base of Hamas's "military wing," the Al-Qassam Brigades, in northern Gaza, according to a witness and a security official in Gaza. The security official said the air raid caused no casualties. On Sunday, the IDF deployed Iron Dome anti-missile batteries next to the towns of Sderot and Netivot. Another battery was deployed last week near Ashdod.
