ESCALATION IN THE SOUTH? IDF struck Gaza targets overnight following rocket attack on southern Israel

Israeli southern communities were targeted in a rocket attack from Gaza late Wednesday night.

Four rockets were fired towards the southern city of Sderot and were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, the Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson's Unit said. 

"It was a miracle no one was hurt. It is the government's responsibility to ensure Sderot residents can enjoy the Passover holiday in peace," said Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi.

The rocket barrage occurred during IDF airstrikes in the Gaza strip, in retaliation for an earlier missile from Gaza that fell in an open area in Sderot. Sirens went off in the city at 10:33 p.m. local time. No injuries were reported, but shrapnel from the rocket caused minor damage to a house and a vehicle and one person suffered an anxiety attack and was taken to a hospital. 

The IDF military airstrikes targeted a Hamas military site and the opening of terror tunnels which led to an underground structure containing raw chemical materials for building rockets. According to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, the strikes will make a significant impact on rocket manufacturing in the Strip.

“We expect to see quiet and that whoever fired this rocket will find themselves below the ground,” Davidi said. “I think that we all understand today that our enemies are outside our country, including in Gaza and in Lebanon, and are being amplified from within the state. We must remember that we are the people of Israel in the land of Israel. We must guard the Israeli nation, and that means that all citizens will be able to live normal lives and go to sleep without fears.” 

The first sirens sounded a few hours after Israeli activists marched with flags through Jerusalem in protest over the government’s response to the violence in the city and a decision to ban Jews from entering the Temple Mount until the end of Ramadan. 

Hamas has threatened that the “Israeli leadership will bear the full responsibility to the consequences of the flags’ march, as well as the dangerous and provocative measures.” 

Earlier this week, Israel was targeted by another rocket attack for the first time since September, directed at southern Israeli communities. The rocket was fired, likely by Islamic Jihad, and was intercepted by Iron Dome.