IDF spokesperson says army will not stand ongoing aggression against Israeli citizens, strikes in response to Grad rocket attack on Ashdod; Palestinian sources report no casualties.
The IAF attacked two Hamas military bases near Gaza City, Israel Radio cited Palestinian sources as saying Friday overnight. According to the report, one base was north of the Zeitun village, and the other close by to the Shati refugee camp. There were no reported casualties
The IDF spokesperson said that the strikes were in response to the Grad rockets fired atAshdod earlier Friday, and said the army will "not stand the rocket fire at southern communities and will operate against all acts of aggression against Israeli citizens."
Earlier, following nearly a week of quiet for the residents of the South, warning sirens were heard in the Ashdod area after two Grad rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip.
The rockets landed in open fields and no injuries or damage were reported.
The communities close the Gaza Strip had enjoyed a short period of relative quiet since last Sunday. A tense quiet had settled over southern Israel this week as a shaky cease-fire went into effect, ending several days of Gaza attacks and IDF counterattacks.
Defense officials said that the IDF would remain on high alert along the border.
On Sunday night, a Kassam rocket hit south of Ashkelon but on Monday the border was quiet, with the IDF, Hamas and Islamic Jihad abiding by a cease-fire reportedly brokered by United Nations representatives to Israel.
IDF sources said they predicted that while the cease-fire had gone into effect, it would likely be limited in time.
“We succeeded in postponing a large-scale conflict with Hamas but that conflict is likely inevitable,” one senior officer said on Monday.
