BICOM

Three rockets were fired from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip into southern Israel yesterday evening, as tension continued in the Gaza border region.

Two rockets exploded in open areas near the city of Ashkelon, causing no damage or injuries. However, they did trigger the Code Red missile warning siren in Ashkelon itself and surrounding areas. The IDF confirmed that the rockets had not been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defence system. A third rocket was later fired from the Gaza Strip, landing in the Eshkol region but also did not cause any damage or injuries. Israel’s security forces did not respond to the attacks, having previously launched targeted air strikes in response to recent rocket fire.

During January, there was a sharp increase in rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip on southern Israel and in attacks on IDF border patrols. Israeli government figures showed that in January, there were three times as many rockets fired at Israel compared to an average month in 2013. They included a salvo of five rockets aimed at Ashkelon, which was intercepted by the Iron Dome system and two rockets which were fired shortly after the conclusion of Ariel Sharon’s funeral.

Maariv reported that most of the recent attacks are thought to have been carried out by Islamist terror groups looking to undermine the Hamas regime in Gaza, which has been in power since violently overthrowing the Fatah faction in 2007. It is thought that although Hamas approves of the attacks in principle, it is wary of sparking a major conflict with Israel, such as Operation Pillar of Defence in November 2012.

Underscoring the tension in the area, IDF officer Tal Nachman was killed in a ‘friendly fire’ incident on the Gaza border earlier this week. Nachman was shot after an infantry soldier opened fire having mistakenly identified a terrorist who he believed was attacking an IDF vehicle.