The Israel Defense Forces Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted a rocket believed to be fired by Gaza terrorists on Monday afternoon.
There were no reports of injuries or damage, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
However, the rocket was the first fired from the Gaza Strip since May’s 11-day war between Israeli and Palestinian terrorist groups, CBN News reports.
No group has officially claimed responsibility for the attempted attack, but officials suspect a Palestinian terror group.
Terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad said Monday that it blames Israel for the death of four Palestinians who were killed by Israeli security during an arrest raid in Jenin.
“The blood of the dead will not be shed in vain, and Israeli terrorism will not scare the Palestinians,” the Islamic Jihad said in a statement.
Israel’s border security opened fire after coming under “heavy fire from close range” as they tried to arrest a suspect at a refugee camp in Jenin, according to Haaretz.
Hamas has said it would not hesitate to escalate the security situation with Israel if Qatari cash and construction supplies are not transferred to the Strip in a few days.
International mediators say Israel and Hamas may be headed toward more fighting as Palestinians argue that Israel has failed to ease restrictions and facilitate the reconstruction of homes destroyed during the May war.
“The Palestinian factions are very close to reaching a decision to escalate the situation along the border with Israel,” a report said. “The factions are holding intensive consultations to discuss ways of responding to the continued siege on the Gaza Strip.”
Militants in Gaza have released incendiary balloons into Israel since the U.N. was able to secure a ceasefire in May, but they have not launched rockets until the one fired on Monday.
Moments before the launch, rocket sirens sounded in Sderot and other areas on the Israel-Gaza border.
Photo courtesy: Pixabay
Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
