Sirens blare in south as rockets fired from Gaza

Rockets targeting southern Israel were fired from the Gaza Strip just before 10 p.m. Tuesday night. No injuries or damage were reported.

One rocket, reportedly fired at the town of Sderot, fell inside the Gaza Strip. A second rocket was fired at the Sha’ar Hanegev region, and was thought to have landed in an open area. Residents in the area told Maariv they heard a loud explosion, but the missile had yet to be located as of 10:30 p.m.

Sirens sounded in both places, and no injuries or damage were reported.

The missile fire came less than 24 hours after a Grad rocket was launched from Sinai at the Red Sea resort town of Eilat. The rocket was intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system and caused no damage. Three people were treated by paramedics for shock.

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Rocket fire at Israel, once a daily occurrence, has mostly tailed off since Israel’s mini-war with Hamas in November.

The fire coincided with the release of 26 Palestinian prisoners, 15 of them to Gaza, as Israel and the Palestinians launch long-dormant peace talks.

Israel’s Army Radio reported that some of the sirens in Israel might have been triggered by fireworks set off near the Israel-Gaza border by Palestinians celebrating the imminent return of the 15 prisoners to the strip.

Hamas, which controls the Strip, has rejected the talks, which are being managed by the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority and mediated by the United States. The sides are expected to meet Wednesday in Jerusalem.