Palestinian Islamists fired a rocket last night toward Israel’s southern communities, exploding in an uninhabited field in the Hof Ashkelon regional council. No injuries or damage were reported. Even though Hamas is not believed to be behind last night’s rocket fire, Israel reiterated that it holds the Islamist Hamas organization, which controls the Gaza Strip, as solely responsible for any attacks emanating from the Palestinian enclave. Keeping in line with the Israeli policy, the IDF announced it had carried out two separate airstrikes against Hamas military positions in Gaza overnight. Palestinian sources told TV7 that three Palestinians were wounded in the Israeli strike, including one who was rushed to a Gaza hospital in serious condition. Hamas released a statement following the Israeli retaliation, warning that Israel was “crossing a dangerous line” that will lead to “serious consequences.” Hamas further declared that it ” ” will not allow Gaza to be turned into a testing field for Israeli ammunition.” Even though no organization in Gaza has yet claimed responsibility for the rocket fire toward Israel, several Gaza sources pointed the finger at a Salafist group in the Palestinian enclave that is affiliated to the Islamic State.
