Rocket Barrage Targets Jerusalem and South, Ends Brief Gaza Truce

Local media say a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip landed near the West Bank settlement of Bat Ayin, about 10 miles south of Jerusalem.

According to a military source, two rockets fired from Gaza toward Jerusalem were intercepted, one by the Iron Dome and the other by David’s Sling. It marked the second-ever David’s Sling interception after the system downed a rocket fired at Tel Aviv on Wednesday.

The David’s Sling long-range air and missile defense system fills a hole in Israel’s missile defense array, including the short-range Iron Dome and the Arrow system, designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles.

According to the Eshkol Regional Council, Gaza Strip border communities were the target of dozens of rockets in successive volleys starting at 11 am. Projectiles and shrapnel hit homes in Sderot and Nir Am and caused minor damage to greenhouses.

Thirty-one Palestinians—about half of them civilians—have been killed and more than 90 injured by Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since Israel carried out a surprise attack, killing three Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) commanders on Tuesday.

Palestinian rocket and mortar fire has killed one Israeli and injured 10 others in the same period.

The resumption of fighting comes after hours of relative calm, which gave rise to hopes for an Egyptian-mediated cease-fire.

The IDF says more than 850 rockets have been fired from Gaza over the past four days, with most being intercepted or landing in open areas.

The rocket fire, for which PIJ has claimed responsibility, came as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met with top defense officials in Tel Aviv.

Shortly after the attack, the IDF said it carried out strikes against four PIJ military sites, a mortar launching position, and an area used to fire rockets at Israel.