Rocket fired from Gaza hits Israel: army

Jerusalem: A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants hit neighbouring Israel last night without apparent casualties, the Israeli army said.

“A rocket was launched from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel,” a military statement said.

“Initial reports indicate that the rocket hit an open area… No injuries have been reported.”

Since the end of the devastating war in summer 2014 between Israel and Gaza militants, dozens of projectiles fired from the Hamas-controlled Palestinian coastal strip have hit the Jewish state, military data shows.

Sunni militants claiming links to the Islamic State jihadist group have said they were behind rocket fire in recent months, but Israel holds Hamas responsible for all such incidents.

After four rockets hit Israel on Friday night Israel struck back with air raids on four Hamas bases, killing a six-year-old girl and her 10 year-old-brother living near one of the targets, Gaza medical sources said.