Tel Aviv, April 24, (dpa/GNA) – The Israeli army early on Saturday said it struck Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip in response to rockets fired at Israel.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it hit underground infrastructure and rocket launchers in Gaza “in response to rockets fired at Israel throughout the night.”
Earlier the army said Israeli families had taken cover in bomb shelters as rockets were fired towards southern Israel from Gaza.
The IDF said that some rockets exploded before reaching Israeli territory and others were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defence system.
The Times of Israel reported that at least 20 rockets were launched from the Palestinian territory, adding that there were no reports of casualties.
Israel reinforced a blockade of the Gaza Strip in 2007 together with Egypt, both countries justifying the measure with security concerns.
Around 2 million people live in the Gaza Strip in dire conditions. The ruling Hamas are classified as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union.
The latest exchange of fire followed unrest in Jerusalem on Thursday, which went on into the early hours of Friday, during which dozens of Israelis and Palestinians were injured.
Israelis and Palestinians have repeatedly come to blows in Jerusalem in recent days, with the situation in the Old City being especially tense during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
Fridays and daily prayer times are particularly rife for violent clashes, especially at the gates of the Old City and the entrances to the Temple Mount, or the Noble Sanctuary.
GNA