Israeli warplanes struck an underground structure located in a Hamas military compound in southern Gaza early Thursday morning, in response to rocket fire from the coastal enclave shortly after midnight.
Warning sirens blared across the Eshkol region in southern Israel after the rocket was fired. There were no reports of casualties or damage to property.
Residents of the area reported hearing the sound of explosions.
An IDF spokesperson confirmed that a rocket had been fired, saying it was intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system.
"We will continue to take action against attempts to harm Israeli civilians. The IDF holds the Hamas terrorist organization solely responsible for everything that happens in Gaza," the army said in a statement.
Although the Israel-Gaza border has been relatively quiet in recent weeks, cross-border arson attacks with incendiary balloons have persisted on a daily basis.
In response to the incessant arson attacks, the IDF on Wednesday took the rare step of closing the Gaza Strip's offshore waters to Palestinian fishermen until further notice.
The Office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, which is in charge of the crossings with the coastal enclave, announced that Israel was barring Gazans from using the coastal waters until further notice "due to the continuous launching of incendiary balloons and kites from the Gaza Strip towards Israel."
Israel often restricts the offshore fishing zone in response to cross-border violence.
