A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip that landed in the sea off the coast of southern Israel overnight Monday was "deliberately" launched by Islamic Jihad operatives, the IDF said Tuesday morning.
The IDF named Islamic Jihad commander Baha Abu al-Ata as having given the order to fire the rocket after receiving a directive from the group's leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah, who is based in Damascus.
According to the IDF, the Islamic Jihad is "trying to maintain a low profile so Hamas doesn't know" that it's seeking to undermine the cease-fire efforts, despite claims by the two groups that they are cooperating.
IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis said that the Palestinian terrorist group had intended to hit Israeli territory, but the rocket missed its target and landed in the Mediterranean Sea.
Residents of several cities in southern Israel reported hearing the explosion.
Manelis said that in response to the rocket launch, the IDF has reduced the permitted fishing zone to 6 nautical miles from the Gaza coastline.
Israel had earlier this month agreed to extend the fishing zone to 28 kilometers (15 nautical miles), up from the previous limit of 17 km (9 nautical miles), as part of a cease-fire brokered by Egypt after a major flare-up sparked by a rocket attack that scored a direct hit on a home in central Israel.
Manelis said that in recent weeks Israel has seen attempts by Islamic Jihad to undermine the fragile security arrangement by carrying out deliberate low-signature violations.
This article was originally published by i24NEWS. Read more at https://www.i24news.tv/en.
