False rocket alert sounds near Gaza border

A rocket alert that sounded near the Gaza border Monday morning was a false alarm, the IDF said.

Residents in Yad Mordechai and Netiv Ha’asara heard the alarm, but no explosion.

Gaza border towns came under almost daily rocket fire over the course of a seven-week conflict between Israel and Hamas that ended August 26 when the two sides agreed to an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire.

The deal called for an immediate end to hostilities and easing of restrictions on movement of personnel and goods through the crossings into Gaza that Israel controls.

However, the agreement left many major demands up for negotiation at a later date, and while the ceasefire has thus far held firmly, some have recently expressed concern that Hamas could resume rocket fire if the sides fail to make progress during negotiations expected to take place in Cairo in the coming weeks.

Deputy Foreign Minister Tzachi Hanegbi warned Thursday that Hamas was likely to resume violence if it concludes it has made no political gains from talks in Cairo.

However, senior Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad, who was involved in the ceasefire negotiations, contended Saturday that there were no signs that Hamas was rearming or digging new tunnels.

The 50 days of deadly fighting between Israel and terrorists in Gaza that killed approximately 2,100 Palestinians — about 1,000 of them combatants, Israel says — and 72 Israelis.