IAF strikes targets in Gaza Strip
Move comes after rocket fire Sunday evening; military spokesman reports direct hits
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
An Israeli aircraft struck a “terror activity site” and three weapon storage and manufacturing facilities in the northern Gaza Strip early Monday morning, according to a statement released by the IDF spokesperson’s office.
The IAF also struck a site in the southern Gaza Strip.
The IDF said the strikes were a response to a rocket attack from Gaza on Sunday evening.
Direct hits were confirmed, according to the statement. .
On Sunday, Israeli forces positioned an Iron Dome anti-missile battery outside the southern coastal city of Ashdod, in response to an escalation in rocket fire from Gaza over the weekend.
The move came hours after Israeli planes pounded several sites in the Gaza Strip Sunday, in retaliation for rockets fired earlier in the day.
Ashdod, a city of some 200,000, sits several kilometers from the Gaza Strip and has been targeted with rockets in the past.
On Saturday, rockets were fired toward Ashkelon, all of which landed in open fields and did not cause any injuries or damage.
On Thursday, a Gazan rocket damaged a road in the Eshkol region.
Also on Sunday, as part of procedures implemented by Israel in response to the kidnapping Thursday of three West Bank teenagers, the crossings between Gaza and Israel were closed indefinitely.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
