Israel strikes Hamas posts in Gaza after rocket hits building in Israeli territory
Xinhua,December 29, 2017 Adjust font size:
JERUSALEM, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military said Friday it attacked two Hamas posts in the Gaza Strip after three rockets launched from the besieged Palestinian enclave hit an Israeli building earlier.
"IDF (Israel Defense Forces) tanks and an IAF (Israel Air Force) aircraft targeted two posts (...) in the northern Gaza Strip," a military statement read.
Both posts belong to Hamas, an Islamist organization that runs the Gaza Strip.
The strikes came "in response to the rockets fired towards Israel" earlier on Friday, according to the statement.
Israel's Iron Dome anti-rocket system intercepted two of the rockets but the third one hit a building in a kibbutz, a small rural community, in the regional council of Sha'ar Ha'negev, causing minor damage to the building with no injuries reported.
No group in Gaza immediately assumed responsibility for the rockets but these launches are usually made by the Islamic Jihad and other radical Islamist groups. However, Israel said it held Hamas responsible for any hostility from Gaza and usually retaliates with attacks on Hamas positions.
The incident was the latest round of escalation between Israel and the Palestinians, which was triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in a statement on Dec. 6. Enditem