No reports of injuries or damage; attack comes days after one-year anniversary of killing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander
Palestinian terrorists in Gaza fired two rockets at southern and central Israel overnight Saturday-Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces said.
The army said one of the rockets triggered sirens in the southern city of Ashdod and throughout the Shfela region of central Israel, while the other fell outside of Ashdod city limits and set off no alarms.
The Iron Dome anti-missile defense system was activated to intercept the rockets “in accordance with our procedures,” the army said, stopping short of saying whether the interceptions were successful.
The rocket sirens sent thousands rushing for shelter, as residents of cities and towns south of Tel Aviv reported hearing powerful explosions.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
The rocket fire came days after the one-year anniversary of the killing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander Baha Abu al-Ata.
Abu al-Ata’s death on November 12, 2019 sparked a fierce round of fighting known in the military as Operation Black Belt. Last week also marked the anniversary of an IDF intelligence operation that went awry on November 11, 2018, leading to a large exchange of fire between Israel and terror groups in the Strip, as well as a major, week-long campaign against Hamas in November 2012, known as Operation Pillar of Defense.
The IDF went on heightened alert Wednesday, sending additional air defenses to southern Israel, ahead of the anniversary. In addition to more Iron Dome missile defense batteries deployed to the south, flights into and out of Israel appeared to have been directed to use Ben Gurion International Airport’s northern paths, keeping them farther from the Gaza Strip.
These changes in air traffic routes — visible with civilian flight path tracking software — is generally seen when there is active fighting or expectations of it. A spokesperson for the Israel Airports Authority did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.
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