Israel Launches Airstrikes on Gaza Strip in Answer to Rocket Fire

The Israeli military says its air force staged “wide-scale” attacks against targets in the Gaza Strip overnight between Thursday and Friday in response to three rockets that were launched from the Palestinian enclave. Two of the rockets were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system. The third landed in an open area. The military said that “underground infrastructure used to manufacture weapons” was among the targets in the retaliatory actions. There were no reports of deaths or injuries in the exchange of fire. Rocket launches against Israel had tapered off somewhat since a vicious exchange of fire followed Israel’s targeted killing of an Islamic Jihad leader in the Gaza Strip last November. Yet there has been an uptick of balloon-borne explosive devices launched into Israel on Mediterranean winds, and Palestinians are angry over the US peace plan released this week in Washington, which they see as highly biased in favor of Israel.