Beersheba's European soccer game goes ahead in shadow of rocket attack

Hapoel Beersheba come back from 2 goals down to tie with Apoel Nicosia in the Europa League game

Hapoel Beersheeba played to a 2:2 tie with visiting Apoel Nicosia on Thursday after the IDF Home Front Command gave the clearance for the game to go ahead just hours after the southern city was targeted with a rocket from Gaza.

A rocket launched from the Gaza Strip struck a field north of Beersheba on Thursday afternoon, setting off sirens in the southern city for the first time since the 2014 Gaza war.

There were no reports of injuries or damage.

Some 9,500 people attended the Europa League game after the military authorized the match. The UEFA soccer authority gave its approval for the match to go ahead.

Beersheba was down 2 goals at half time, but came back to leave the game tied at 2:2.

The second leg of the tie will be played next week in Cyprus.

A police officer inspects a crater caused by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip that struck an open field north of the city of Beersheba on August 9, 2018. (Israel Police)

The attack against Beersheba marked a significant increase in the level of violence from the Gaza Strip. Terrorist groups in Gaza launched over 180 rockets and mortar shells at southern Israel Wednesday-Thursday; however, these were mainly directed at communities directly adjacent to the coastal enclave. Beersheba is located some 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Gaza.

On Thursday night, the Hamas terrorist group said a ceasefire deal had gone into effect at midnight. Israel denied there was a truce, but an official told the Kan broadcaster “quiet will be met with quiet.”