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Israel struck by Gaza rocket; Israeli goods entering Gaza to double in 2015

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A rocket fired overnight from the Gaza Strip landed in southern Israel. It was the latest of several rockets which have been aimed at Israel from Gaza during the past several weeks.

The attack took place at around 2am. Rocket warning sirens were sounded in Zikim, Hof Ashkelon and areas of Ashkelon itself, sending local residents hurrying for cover. The rocket landed in an open area in Hof Ashkelon and did not cause any injuries or damage. Hours later, Israel’s Air Force carried out a strike on a site in the northern Gaza Strip from which the rocket was launched. A statement from the IDF said “We won’t tolerate any attempt to harm Israeli civilians” and added that “Hamas is the address of responsibility” for the rocket fire.

It was the sixth time in recent weeks that Gaza rockets have been fired into Israel. As the de facto authority in the Gaza Strip, Israel hold Hamas responsible. Although no group has yet claimed last night’s attack, the radical Salafist group the Omar Brigade, which is sympathetic towards ISIS, has taken responsibility for much of the recent rocket fire, including a Grad rocket which landed near Ashdod. The group has made clear that the attacks serve a dual purpose – Targeting Israelis while challenging the authority of Hamas.

Also yesterday, the Crossings Authority in Israel’s Defence Ministry announced that it expects that double the amount of goods will enter the Gaza Strip from Israel during 2015 compared to 2014. This year, an average of 600-650 trucks are expected to pass through the Kerem Shalom border crossing each working day. However, the Crossings Authority also noted that so far this year 250 attempts to smuggle banned materials into Gaza have been prevented, equivalent to the entire number in 2014. Since Hamas seized power in Gaza in 2007, Israel has imposed restrictions on goods entering Gaza, to prevent the import of materials to build rockets and construct attack tunnels.