Early Friday, Israeli aircraft struck several targets in the Gaza Strip in response to rocket fire Thursday evening from the Palestinian enclave, APA reports citing TASS.
The rocket attacks and Israeli airstrikes were the first cross-border violence since a cease-fire ended a round of fighting between Israel and the Islamic Jihad militant group there in August.
The violence flared as Israel completed the counting of votes in national elections held this week, with former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies capturing a comfortable majority of seats in Israel’s parliament.
In the West Bank, Israeli troops operating in the Jenin refugee camp, a militant stronghold, killed at least two Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad said one of those killed was a local commander.
Late Thursday, Gaza militants fired a rocket into southern Israel, setting off air-raid sirens in the area.
The Israeli army said the rocket was intercepted, and that three other launch attempts failed and exploded inside Gaza.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but in the past, Islamic Jihad has fired rockets in response to the killings of its members.
In response, the Israeli military said it targeted an underground site used by Gaza’s Hamas rulers as a rocket-making facility.
The airstrikes “will significantly impede” Hamas’ rocket capabilities, it said.
It also blamed the militant group for attacks emanating from Gaza. There were no reports of casualties.
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