Israel begins to strike Hamas targets after Gaza rocket fire

Gaza City

Israel carried out a series of air strikes against Islamist group Hamas in Gaza early on Thursday, the army said, hours after more rockets were fired from the Palestinian enclave.

The Israeli army also announced it would close the border crossings between blockaded Gaza and Israel -- Kerem Shalom for goods and Erez for people -- from Thursday "due to the security events and in accordance with security assessments." A military spokeswoman could not say whether the closure would be for one day or more.

In a statement, the Israeli army said it had targeted three Hamas military facilities in different parts of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. "The military facilities were used as training and weapons storage compounds," the army said. "This was in response to the projectiles fired at Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip." A Palestinian security source said there were more than 10 strikes on the targets, which included a Hamas naval facility and a military base near the Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza.

The source said there had been significant damage to the targets, as well as lesser damage to nearby houses, where some residents suffered minor injuries.

The strikes came hours after Israel's air defence system intercepted two rockets fired from Gaza.Such rockets are generally fired by fringe Islamist groups but Israel holds Gaza's Hamas rulers responsible for any fire from the territory, report AFP. There has been an uptick in violence from Gaza since US President Donald Trump announced he would recognise Jerusalemas Israel's capital last week.