The second rocket came as the Israel Defense Forces were striking Hamas targets in Gaza in retaliation for the earlier attack. This was the third consecutive night of rocket fire from the Strip.
The back-to-back rocket attacks came amid growing tensions between Israel and terror groups in the Strip, as the ceasefire brokered in the aftermath of an 11-day conflict in May appeared poised to breakdown completely.
Shortly before 9 p.m. on Sunday night, one rocket was fired toward the town of Sderot near the Gaza border, triggering sirens there and in the surrounding community. Three Israelis were lightly injured as they scrambled for shelter, according to medics. Another two Israelis were treated by medics for acute anxiety attacks, according to the Magen David Adom ambulance service.
In response, in the predawn hours of Monday morning, the IDF launched a series of airstrikes on Hamas targets, hitting four bases, including an underground tunnel and weapons storage and production facilities, the military said.
During this retaliatory attack, terrorists in the Strip launched the second rocket toward southern Israel
Both rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system and caused no damage.
Following the second rocket, the Israeli Air Force hit several more Hamas targets, including a heavy machine that tried to down the aircraft, the army said.
As in the previous two nights, no Palestinian group publicly took responsibility for the rockets. The IDF conducted airstrikes against Hamas targets on Friday and Saturday following the rocket attacks, saying it held the terror group responsible for all attacks from Gaza.
In an apparently unrelated incident in northern Israel, an unknown individual approached the northern border fence that divides Israel from Lebanon, near Metula.
Israeli troops rushed to the scene and the suspect fled back into Lebanese territory immediately upon their arrival, the military said. Earlier, residents of Metula were asked to avoid the area, as the military scanned the fence and launched flares. READ MORE
