BICOM

Two Grad rockets fired from Gaza landed near the southern Israeli cities of Ofakim and Netivot last night, while earlier in the day a Qassam rocket from Gaza hit an open area in the Eshkol Regional Council in southern Israel. Following the Grad rocket strike, four people received treatment for shock and damage was caused to a road and a vehicle.

IDF Home Front Southern Command Chief Colonel Eitan Yitzhak said the army was looking into the reason why the missile alert system did not activate and warn residents prior to the attack. The rocket attacks were the first since the Egyptian anti-government protests which have taken place over the last week. The IDF is monitoring the situation closely with concern that terror related activity and weapons smuggling could increase in Gaza while the unrest in Egypt continues. Last month, 13 rockets were fired from Hamas controlled Gaza into Israel over the course of two days. According to the IDF spokesperson office, 200 Grad missiles, mortar shells and Qassam rockets were fired from Gaza into Israeli territory in 2010.