Israeli jets and tanks strike Hamas positions following rocket fire

Incident comes day after Israel's Arrow missile defense system intercepted Syrian SAMs.

By ANNA AHRONHEIM
Updated: MARCH 19, 2017 01:21
The Gaza border (photo credit: HATZALAH YOSH)
The Gaza border
(photo credit: HATZALAH YOSH)
Two Hamas positions were struck by Israeli fighter jets and tanks in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday, the army said.
The strikes were in retaliation for a rocket that landed near the city of Ashkelon on Saturday morning. There was no damage or injuries from the rocket launched from the Gaza Strip toward the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council.
A second rocket was also reported to have been fired from the town of Beit Lahiya but fell short and struck inside the Hamas-run enclave.
Saturday morning’s rocket comes just two days after another rocket fired from the Gaza Strip struck an open field in the Sdot Negev Regional Council. Israeli jets carried out retaliatory strikes against two Hamas targets.
The last two months has seen gunfire targeting IDF troops along the border as well as seven rockets launched at Israel from Gaza as well as several from the Sinai Peninsula fired by Islamic State terrorists.
Most of the rockets have been claimed by small jihadist groups, many times as a means for pressuring Hamas by raising tensions between the terror organization and Israel. Hamas has cracked down on these small groups, recently carrying out a wave of arrests among Salafi, jihadist, pro-Islamic State organizations.
Nevertheless Israel holds Hamas responsible for all fire coming from the Strip.
The incident comes a day after Israel’s Arrow missile defense system intercepted a Syrian surface-to-air missile fired toward Israeli jets who were returning to base after carrying out air strikes against Hezbollah targets. It was the most serious clash between the two enemy countries since Syria’s civil war broke out six years ago.