Terrorists in the Gaza Strip fired at a rocket at southern Israel on Thursday evening, triggering warning sirens at the end of Yom Ha’azmaut, Israel’s Independence Day.
As Israeli Independence Day comes to a close, terrorists in Gaza fired a rocket at Israel.
73 years after declaring independence, our fight to defend our freedom continues every day.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 15, 2021
A statement by the Israel Defense Forces said alerts went off in the city of Sderot and the surrounding area. The IDF confirmed a few minutes later that a rocket had been launched. The projectile landed in an open area and did not cause damages or injuries.
There were no details immediately available on the identity of the armed faction behind the attack.
The IDF responded by launching an airstrike using fighter jets and attack helicopters to target a Hamas weapons manufacturing site, a weapon smuggling tunnel and a military post in Gaza overnight Thursday.
In response to the rocket fired from Gaza at Israel earlier tonight, IDF fighter jets and attack helicopters just struck a Hamas weapons manufacturing site, a weapon smuggling tunnel and a military post.
We will not tolerate any threat to Israeli civilians.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 15, 2021
On March 23, during Israel’s last national elections, a Gazan terror faction fired a rocket at Beersheva, soon after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had campaigned in the southern Negev city. That rocket set off localized warnings nearby the city. There were no reports of damage or injuries.
Defense officials estimated that the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad was responsible for the election day attack, according to Israel Hayom.
Hours afterward, the Israel Air Force bombed a rocket-production site and a military post belonging to Hamas in Gaza. It released a statement holding Hamas responsible for “all events transpiring in the Gaza Strip,” adding that Hamas “will bear the consequences of terror activity against Israeli civilians.”
The attack was the sole incident of projectile fire from Gaza in March, while no rockets were fired in February, according to data from the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency.
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