The Israeli Air Force targeted eight Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip following a rocket attack on southern Israel, the military confirmed Thursday. The incident marked the end of a weeklong stretch of relative calm on the volatile border.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said IAF aircraft bombed Hamas targets throughout the coastal enclave, including a weapons arsenal and a training compound. There were no immediate reports of Palestinian casualties.
Gaza's media reported that Hamas had ordered its operatives to clear several compounds in anticipation of an Israeli raid.
The strikes came in response to an overnight rocket attack – the first firing from Gaza since a missile hit a house in the city of Beersheba a week ago, threatening to spark another full-fledged confrontation.
The military further confirmed Thursday that the Iron Dome defense system did not intercept the projectile fired from Gaza.
IDF data pegs Iron Dome's interception rate at 90%.
A military official told The Times of Israel that the interceptor did not miss its mark but rather was redirected after it became apparent the rocket was headed for an open area and did not represent a threat to human lives.
The rocket attack came as Egypt and U.N. Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov are trying to mediate a long-term truce between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist terrorist group that rules Gaza.
On Wednesday, the IAF struck a Hamas position in southern Gaza after it was confirmed it was being used as the base from which incendiary balloons were being sent across the border.
