Israeli forces hit Gaza after militants fire rocket

JERUSALEM, Oct 24, (Agencies): Israel’s air force hit a Hamas post in the Gaza Strip on Monday after a rocket was fired from the Palestinian enclave toward Israel, the military said.

There were no initial reports that the rocket caused any casualties.

“A rocket was fired at southern Israel from the Gaza Strip,” an army statement said, but “no rockets hit Israeli territory.”

Israeli public radio said it was believed the rocket fell short and landed within Gaza, which is run by Islamist movement Hamas.

“In response to the attack Israel Air Force aircraft targeted a Hamas military post in the northern Gaza Strip,” the army said.

Hamas officials said there were no casualties in the attack on the post, at Beit Hanoun, near the border with Israel. Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008 and there are frequent flare-ups along the border.

Rocket fire from Gaza usually leads to retaliatory strikes by Israel.

Recent rocket fire from the Gaza Strip has been claimed by jihadists who sympathise with the Islamic State group, but Israel holds Hamas responsible for all such attacks.

The rocket fired towards southern Israel set off sirens after tracking systems monitored the launch but it landed inside the Gaza Strip, a military statement said.

Small jihadist cells in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Islamist group Hamas, sometimes launch rockets into Israel.

Hamas has observed a de facto ceasefire with Israel since 2014, when 2,100 Palestinians and 73 Israelis were killed in a war.

But Israel says it holds the groups responsible for all rocket launches from the territory.