Palestinian Islamists have resumed rocket-fire from the Gaza Strip toward the southern communities of Israel. A rocket exploded yesterday afternoon in the Israeli town of Sderot, at the heart of a residential neighborhood. No injuries were reported, yet damage was caused to a residential building. “The “red alert” siren sounded and it was a surprise for us because we have not heard the “red alert” for a long time and it was very surprising so we entered the shelter. After a few seconds a dull “boom” was heard. We understood that it was a rocket but we thought it was far from us. When we came out, we saw smoke rising from our neighbor’s house so we understood that it was very close,” said Yaron Shadadi, Israeli Resident.
In response to the rocket fire, the Israeli air force targeted several installations belonging to the military-wings of the Islamist Hamas and Islamic Jihad organizations. According to medical sources in Gaza, four people were injured. The IDF released a statement stressing it “remains committed to the stability of the region and operates in order to bring quiet to the people of southern Israel.” Hamas responded to the retaliation saying it held Israel fully responsible for the escalation in the situation on its southern front.
Hamas Spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that Israel would not be able to impose new equations on the Palestinian resistance. Nevertheless, a Hamas official said last night that Islamist organization did not want to escalate the situation and was attempting to clarify who had fired the rocket together with the various organizations in Gaza. Meanwhile, the radical Salafist organization Ahfad a-Sahaba, which is affiliated to the Islamic State, claimed responsibility for the rocket fire and said it had done so in response to Jews visiting the Temple Mount. Since the beginning of 2016, 14 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip have hit Israel.