BICOM

Two Kassam rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip towards the southern Israeli town of Sderot this morning, after Israel’s air force had struck Hamas positions overnight in response to three rockets fired into Israel yesterday.

No injuries or damage were reported in this morning’s attack after the rockets reportedly landed in an open area. However, the Code Red warning siren sounded just after 7.30am local time, just as Israeli children were returning to school for the first time after the Passover holiday. Yesterday, a mortar or rocket landed in an open area in the Eshkol region while a further two were launched but failed to reach Israeli territory. In response, the Israel Air Force last night carried out air strikes against Hamas targets in the northern Gaza Strip. It was the first such Israeli air operation since a ceasefire brought Operation Pillar of Defence to an end in November. Although no casualties have been reported on either side over the last day, it is the most significant rise in tension since November’s truce came into effect.

Speaking this morning, Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon said, “Israel holds Hamas responsible for everything that is fired from Gaza. We will not allow a routine of [rocket] fire at our civilians and forces.”

He also addressed increasing tensions on Israel’s border with Syria, with fighting from Syria’s two-year long internal conflict having recently intensified in the area. Stray shooting from the fighting has developed into what appears to be targeted fire at IDF troops over the last week. Yesterday, IDF tanks returned fire at the source of a mortar attack which reached Israeli territory. Ya’alon said, “Our policy is that we have no intention of ignoring fire from Syria… incidental or not, and we will respond with a strike.”