IDF detects four Gaza rocket tests in 24 hours

The military said Thursday that it detected a rocket launched from Gaza into the Mediterranean Sea for the fourth time in 24 hours.

“The indication suggests Gaza terrorists are experimenting in order to increase rocket launching capabilities,” the IDF said in a statement.

It was not immediately clear which of the various Gaza-based terror groups was responsible for the rocket fire.

Since Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire in late August that put a halt to a 50-day war, the IDF has reported on numerous instances of weapons tests within the Gaza Strip, some of which triggered false alarms in Israel’s southern communities around the coastal enclave.

There have also been several cases of isolated rocket fire from the strip apparently directed at Israel. Most recently, an October 31 incident resulted in the closing of border crossings between Gaza and Israel for two days.

Israel is wary of Gaza terrorist groups rearming after the summer war that the IDF said destroyed much of their weapons stock and infrastructure. Military sources have said they believe Hamas has restarted rocket production. It is not clear whether Israel believes tunnel work has resumed, though some reports from Gaza have suggested that it has.